image source, Reuters
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According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, four people were killed in an attack launched by the Israeli air force on southern Lebanon on Sunday morning.
The ministry said two people were killed in the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, near the city of Nabatieh, one of the largest cities in southern Lebanon, while two women were killed in the town of Arabsalem, located a few kilometers away, and twenty people were injured in several areas, including women and three children.
Israel said it carried out the raids “after Hezbollah launched drones in the direction of its soldiers.”
The Israeli army said in a statement that two “suicide bombers” had launched a march towards its forces, noting that there were no casualties among the soldiers.
He added that his forces were “currently attacking southern Lebanon in retaliation”.
Israel’s military said its forces had opened fire on one of the two planes and were able to intercept it, saying there were no casualties and describing the launch of the two planes as a “gross violation”.
In a statement, the Israeli army warned residents of the Arab Salem compound and nearby buildings to evacuate, saying they were located near a “Hezbollah facility.”
Israel’s military called the drone launch a “gross violation of the cease-fire agreement” and added that its forces would continue operations in what it called a “security” area under the pretext of removing any threat to its forces and Israelis.
The new attacks come less than 24 hours after another Israeli raid in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah had no immediate comment on the Israeli army’s statement.
Israel continues to occupy large swaths of southern Lebanon, where it has declared a “security zone” up to ten kilometers deep along the border, while raids, demolitions and bombings continue.
On Friday, Lebanon’s health ministry said four people were killed and 32 injured in an attack that Israel said targeted Hezbollah facilities.
The developments come amid an ongoing standoff between Israel and Hezbollah, which began in 2023 after the party launched what it described as a “front of support” for the Gaza Strip. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health reported that since October 8, 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 8,920 people.
The Israeli military is testing its ability to respond to a “sudden, complex, large-scale and multi-front” event.
image source, Getty Images
In a related context, on Sunday morning, the Israeli army began a major military exercise, ordered by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, to test the army’s readiness to deal with a sudden and widespread confrontation scenario on several fronts at the same time.
According to the Israeli army, the commanders of the military command, armaments and directorates were suddenly summoned to their headquarters, in addition to being activated on alert, and the exercise included the airlift of one of the battalions by helicopter.
The exercise tests the ability of command staff and forces to respond to a “sudden, complex, large-scale and multi-front event.” It also includes a test of operational plans and lessons learned by the army from the war on various fronts and from the October 7, 2023 attack.
The drills come as Israel’s military raises its readiness level ahead of the Jewish holiday season, amid fears of a possible escalation on more than one front.
