Israeli Assault on Beirut Kills Four Lives Amidst Fragile Truce
In a recent breach of the tenuous ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, the Israeli military launched an attack on a residential building located in a southern suburb of Beirut, resulting in the deaths of at least four individuals and injuring seven more.
According to the local al-Mayadeen television news channel, an airstrike struck the densely-populated Sfeir area at approximately 3:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT) on Tuesday. The attack resulted in the destruction of a building and caused damage to nearby structures.
The report indicated that the Lebanese military forces had reached the location of the blast and established a security perimeter around the affected area.
Emergency response units and ambulances swiftly arrived at the scene, conducting rescue operations to extricate individuals trapped beneath the debris and transport the injured to medical facilities.
The Israeli military has issued a statement confirming a strike on a member of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement. The individual was allegedly involved in directing Hamas operatives and providing them with assistance.
A joint statement from the Israeli military and the Shin Bet internal security service claimed that the aerial assault was directed at a prominent Hezbollah leader in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Sources close to the situation have refuted the claim, stating to al-Mayadeen TV that the strike resulted in the death of a regular Hezbollah member.
Israel has conducted a second airstrike targeting a southern suburb of Beirut, the Lebanese capital.
For the first time since the late November ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the Israeli military launched strikes on Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighborhood in the south on Thursday.
Following this second offensive, it appears that this marks a shift in Israel’s strategy, indicating that the occupying forces have no intention of ceasing their actions.
Hezbollah’s Secretary General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, issued a statement two days prior, cautioning that continued Israeli aggression towards the group or Lebanon’s capital will provoke a response from the resistance movement.
Following nearly 14 months of conflict marked by significant losses and unmet objectives in its offensive against Lebanon, Israel found itself compelled to agree to a ceasefire with Hezbollah. The ceasefire was enacted on November 27.
Following the commencement of the agreement, the occupying forces have engaged in hostilities against Lebanon, breaching the ceasefire through a series of airstrikes across the Arab country.
On January 27, Lebanon announced the extension of its ceasefire with Israel, pushing the agreement forward to February 18.
Despite the February 18 deadline having elapsed, Israel continues to maintain its occupation of five key territories in southern Lebanon. These areas include Labbouneh, Mount Blat, Owayda Hill, Aaziyyeh, and Hammamis Hill, all situated near the border.
Lebanon has condemned the continued presence of Israeli military forces, asserting it as a violation of both the ceasefire agreement and the agreed timeline for withdrawal. Senior officials in Beirut have declared their resolve to “utilize all measures” required to remove the occupying forces from the Arab nation.
