Lebanese state media reported a surge in Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling overnight into Thursday morning, following Israel’s announcement of its first military fatalities in more than a month. The renewed hostilities mark a significant escalation in the conflict, which had seen a period of relative calm following previous diplomatic efforts.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported that “the Israeli enemy escalated its attacks” on the Tyre district with a series of airstrikes and artillery shelling that lasted from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The agency reported four strikes in the town of Burj al-Shamali, which left four people wounded.
Additionally, Israeli aircraft carried out three strikes in and around Mansouri, while “artillery shelling and tank fire” targeted the town simultaneously. Residents of Mansouri had received an evacuation warning from the Israeli military on Wednesday.
The Lebanese health ministry confirmed at least one person was killed in Wednesday’s strikes. Israel’s military later announced that two reservists were killed on Wednesday, marking the first Israeli combat deaths in Lebanon since June 28. Since the conflict began, Israel has lost 38 soldiers and one civilian contractor.
Israel accused Hizbollah on Wednesday of forcing its hand by violating a ceasefire that had reduced hostilities since June. Hizbollah, which drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East war on March 2 by firing rockets at Israel in support of Iran, has consistently rejected the current talks.
Hizbollah leader Naim Qassem stated on Tuesday that the direct negotiations would bring “nothing but shame, humiliation” and concessions for Lebanon. The group continues to refuse to surrender its weapons despite the ongoing diplomatic efforts.
At the US-backed talks in Rome aimed at ending the fighting, a source told AFP that Israel requested the day’s proceedings end early on Wednesday, though sessions were expected to resume on Thursday. These talks follow a June framework deal involving Hizbollah’s disarmament, a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from the south, and the deployment of the Lebanese army to “pilot zones.”
The violence had previously waned following the Lebanon-Israel deal and a preliminary US-Iran agreement, though intermittent strikes had persisted. Beirut continues to seek Israel’s phased withdrawal from the south as the primary objective of the current negotiations.
Source: Gulf Today
