Field Escalation in Lebanon: 29 Israeli Attacks Cause Martyrs and Injuries Despite Truce

The Israeli army escalated its military attacks on various areas in southern Lebanon, carrying out 29 aerial and artillery attacks during the ninth day of the ceasefire agreement. These aggressions resulted in the martyrdom of 6 citizens and the injury of 17 others with varying degrees of wounds, placing the fragile agreement under a real test amid continued combat operations.

The fiercest Israeli strikes were concentrated in the Nabatieh district, where airstrikes targeted a truck and a motorcycle in the town of Yahmar al-Shaqif, leading to the martyrdom of 4. In the Bint Jbeil district, two were martyred and 17 others were injured in a raid targeting the town of Safad al-Battikh, amidst a state of panic among local residents who had hoped for truce stability.

The airstrikes included the towns of Kounein, which was subjected to three consecutive strikes, and the town of Beit Yahoun, coinciding with intense artillery shelling that targeted the towns of Houla, Qantara, and Qusayr in the Marjayoun district. The shelling also extended to the outskirts of the town of Al-Tiri and Wadi Hassan, causing severe material damage to public and private properties.

In a related context, Israeli forces continued systematic destruction of infrastructure and homes in the towns of Khiam, Qantara, Taybeh, and Debel through localized explosions. These operations reflect an Israeli desire to create a devastated buffer zone along the border, despite international pledges to cease hostilities and adhere to the terms of the declared agreement.

Also in the field, heavy machine gun fire was recorded towards the vicinity of the border town of Marwahin, accompanied by intense low-altitude flights of Israeli reconnaissance aircraft. Drones were seen flying over the areas of Ansariyeh, Adloun, and Zahrani, indicating continued monitoring and aerial tracking deep into Lebanese territories.

For its part, Hezbollah announced a qualitative attack using a drone that targeted an Israeli 'Namera' armored vehicle in the border town of Qantara. The party confirmed in a military statement that a direct hit was achieved on the vehicle, emphasizing that this operation comes as a legitimate response to the continuous Israeli violations of the truce.

Hezbollah clarified that this attack raises the total number of its operations since the start of the ceasefire to 20, most of which targeted the movements of Israeli forces within Lebanese territory. The statement indicated that the resistance is committed to defending civilians, especially after the massacres committed by the occupation in the town of Yahmar al-Shaqif and other villages.

On the other hand, Hebrew media sources reported that sirens sounded four times in less than an hour in several settlements in northern Israel. The warnings included the settlements of Shlomi, Hanita, Ya'ara, and Rosh HaNikra in the Western Galilee, in addition to Margaliot, Manara, and Misgav Am in the Upper Galilee, as a result of detecting rocket and drone launches.

The Israeli army admitted to detecting suspicious aerial targets and rockets launched from Lebanon, noting that some were intercepted and the rest fell in open areas. The army also acknowledged losing contact with one of the aerial targets but claimed that no casualties occurred among its soldiers or settlers as a result of these recent attacks.

The spokesperson for the Israeli army accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire agreement, justifying the new raids by stating that they targeted military installations belonging to the party. However, field reports confirm that most of the targeted sites are residential areas and public roads, leading to civilian casualties and the destruction of inhabited homes.

These developments come amid a truce announced by US President Donald Trump on April 17, which was supposed to last for ten days before being extended for three weeks. Despite two rounds of talks in Washington between the Lebanese and Israeli sides, the reality on the ground indicates a faltering of diplomatic efforts to establish a permanent ceasefire.

It is worth noting that the widespread Israeli escalation that began on March 2 has left a heavy toll of casualties, with 2,496 people martyred and more than 7,700 others injured. Military operations have also caused the displacement of more than one million Lebanese from their villages and cities, amid a worsening humanitarian crisis affecting the country due to widespread destruction in vital sectors.

Our operations come in response to repeated Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement and in defense of Lebanon and its people.