Israel severs southern Lebanon
Fighting continues between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, with ground operations and airstrikes targeting bridges, causing southern Lebanon to be cut off from the rest of the country.
On Sunday, the Israeli Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, warned that his forces would “intensify their targeted ground operations” in Lebanon and prepare for “weeks of fighting” against Hezbollah, after Beirut condemned a “blatant violation” of sovereignty following the targeting of infrastructure in the country.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army began implementing its command’s orders to destroy bridges over the Litani River, under the pretext that they are being used by Hezbollah. The official Lebanese National News Agency reported that several areas in the south were subjected to air raids.
An Agence France-Presse correspondent reported that the Qasmiya bridge, located over the Litani River north of the city of Tyre, was struck in an air raid that led to its partial destruction, with thick columns of smoke rising.
Later, the Lebanese National News Agency reported a new strike on the bridge, which sustained “severe damage and is now out of service.” The successive strikes also damaged power networks and caused a blackout in the nearby town of Al-Kharayeb.
During the night, the agency stated that Israeli strikes targeting the Qasmiya bridge caused damage to electricity networks, in addition to significant damage to nearby shops, orchards, and parks.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Sunday morning that he had instructed the army to “immediately destroy all bridges over the Litani River to prevent Hezbollah fighters and their weapons from moving south.”
The Litani River is located about 30 kilometers north of the Israeli border.
Israel had announced on Wednesday that it had bombed two bridges crossing the river, accusing Hezbollah of using them to transport military equipment.
A long-term operation
According to the Israeli Chief of Staff, the operation against Hezbollah “is still in its early stages,” noting that it is “a long-term operation and we are prepared for it.”
He added: “We are now preparing to intensify targeted ground operations and airstrikes, according to an organized plan. We will not stop until we remove the threat from the border and ensure long-term security for residents of northern Israel.”
In a separate statement, Israeli army spokesperson Effie Defrin said Sunday that his country would begin expanding the scope of the ground operation in the coming weeks.
Lebanon condemns
For his part, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Israel’s strikes on bridges and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
Aoun stated that “these attacks constitute a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty, and represent a prelude to a ground invasion that Lebanon has repeatedly warned against through diplomatic channels,” describing the attack as “collective punishment against civilians.”
The current confrontation with Hezbollah began three weeks ago after the group launched rockets toward Israel in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Israeli-American strikes on Iran.
Israel responded with large-scale airstrikes while advancing its forces into southern Lebanon, resulting in 1,029 deaths and the displacement of more than one million people, according to Lebanese authorities.
“Accelerating the destruction of homes”
The Israeli Defense Minister stated that the army had been instructed “to accelerate the destruction of Lebanese homes in border villages in order to eliminate threats to Israeli communities.”
According to the Lebanese National News Agency, the Israeli army detonated “a number of homes in the town of Al-Taybeh” in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border.
The Israeli army issued repeated warnings to residents of wide areas in southern Lebanon to evacuate their towns and move north of the Zahrani River, located about 40 kilometers north of the Lebanese border.
For its part, Hezbollah announced that it had carried out at least 60 attacks against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and against Israeli army bases.
