South Lebanon is witnessing a noticeable escalation, as the Israeli army announced intensive operations carried out in recent hours, claiming that they resulted in the killing of dozens of Hezbollah members, in conjunction with artillery and air bombardment targeting various areas, and urgent warnings to residents of the need to evacuate.
The Israeli army announced on Tuesday that it had “eliminated dozens of militants” from Hezbollah during operations it carried out in southern Lebanon during the past 24 hours.
In a statement published on the “Telegram” application, the army explained that its forces detected members of “Hezbollah” while they were trying to carry out attacks from hiding positions, indicating that one of them was preparing to launch an anti-tank missile towards the Israeli forces.
He also announced the arrest of a “party” member while monitoring troop movements, confirming the destruction of weapons depots, command centers, and underground tunnels in southern regions.
At the field level, Israeli artillery bombed Wadi Sarbin and the outskirts of the town of Beit Lev, while the vicinity of the town of Al-Quzah was subjected to bursts of gunfire.
Israeli warplanes launched an air strike at dawn targeting a house in the town of Kafra, according to what the National News Agency reported.
The Israeli army also issued an urgent warning to residents of the areas south of the Zahrani River, asking them to evacuate their homes immediately, in a possible indication of expanding ground operations.
This escalation comes in light of Hezbollah’s resumption of its attacks on Israel, against the backdrop of the ongoing war with Iran since last February 28, which prompted Israel to respond with air strikes and send ground forces to southern Lebanon.
In this context, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that his country seeks to control the area extending to the Litani River, within the framework of establishing what he described as a “safe zone.”
In previous estimates, an Israeli military spokesman spoke of the killing of more than 850 members of the “party” within one month, without independent confirmation of these numbers, and in light of the “party” not announcing its human losses.
