Zionist airstrikes result in civilian casualties and injuries to a UN peacekeeper and soldiers in Lebanon

The Lebanese army announced on Thursday that an Israeli airstrike targeting the southern city of Sidon resulted in the deaths of three Lebanese civilians and left three Lebanese soldiers injured.

The military reported in a statement that a strike targeted a vehicle as it passed through a checkpoint, resulting in the deaths of three Lebanese occupants.

The injured soldiers had been stationed at the checkpoint.

The recent strike in the area also resulted in injuries to several United Nations peacekeepers, including at least four Malaysian members of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), who were reportedly among those wounded in the Israeli airstrike.

In recent weeks, the city of Sidon has been subjected to numerous airstrikes carried out by Israeli fighter jets.

In an overnight operation, Israeli airstrikes in the Bekaa Valley resulted in the destruction of multiple residences in the village of al-Ain. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, the assaults have claimed the lives of at least 40 individuals, with many more injured in the eastern regions of Bekaa Valley and Baalbek city since Wednesday.

The ministry reported that separate incidents across the country resulted in the deaths of an additional 36 individuals on Wednesday.

Early Thursday, reports emerged indicating that the regime launched an attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut, targeting an area near Rafiq Hariri International Airport.

The regime issued abrupt evacuation orders to residents, alleging the presence of facilities associated with Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement. This move was swiftly followed by a series of attacks targeting these regions.

Since October of last year, Tel Aviv has consistently utilized similar assertions to justify its heightened military actions against Lebanon. Despite this, Hezbollah has consistently dismissed these allegations.

Lebanese Parliament Members Urge United Nations to Safeguard Heritage Sites

On Thursday, approximately 100 Lebanese parliamentarians issued an “urgent message” to UNESCO, appealing for the safeguarding of Lebanon’s cultural heritage in light of recent Israeli actions.

Legislator Najat Saliba communicated to Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO, asserting that Israel engaged in significant human rights violations and atrocities amidst the devastating conflict in Lebanon.

In a formal address at the parliament building in Beirut, she delivered a statement endorsed by over 100 legislators, with several of her colleagues in attendance.

Saliba has called on Azoulay to safeguard Lebanon’s historic sites, particularly in Baalbek, Tyre, and other crucial areas that are currently under significant threat due to escalating violence.

Following recent airstrikes by Israeli warplanes targeting areas near archaeological sites across Lebanon, including the northeastern city of Baalbek and the southern port city of Tyre, legislators made their announcement.

On Wednesday, a local official reported that an Israeli airstrike landed in close proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Baalbek’s Roman ruins, raising concerns about the potential threat to the historical landmark.

The Baalbek region in eastern Lebanon is home to the country’s largest city in the area, along with Roman ruins that have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In late September, Israel initiated a comprehensive ground offensive coupled with an extensive air assault against Lebanon. This military action followed a year marked by intermittent exchanges of fire across the Lebanese border alongside ongoing hostilities related to the conflict in Gaza.

Over the past year, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of more than 3,000 individuals, with the majority of these fatalities occurring within the last six weeks.

A recent United Nations report revealed that the ongoing attacks have resulted in over 3,000 fatalities, marking a significant increase of 58 percent compared to the 1,900 deaths recorded during the regime’s 2006 conflict with Lebanon.

In reaction to recent hostilities, Hezbollah has launched a significant number of counterattacks targeting the occupied Palestinian territories and Israeli troops attempting to progress into southern Lebanese regions.

The movement has pledged to continue its strikes until the regime halts its escalation.

In a dual announcement on Thursday, Hezbollah disclosed that it had launched a missile strike targeting the Yiftah military base and executed an ambush against Israeli forces preparing to move towards the village of Yaroun. According to the statements, several Israeli soldiers were either killed or injured as a result of these actions.