Khaberni - The Israeli army announced the killing of a soldier from the Golani Brigade and the wounding of another in battles in southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese army reported the killing of a soldier and family members in an Israeli raid on their home in Nabatieh. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced the death of 15 people due to Israeli raids on towns in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli army spokesman said in a statement that Sergeant Liam Ben Hamou, 19 years old from Herzliya, a fighter in Battalion 13 of the Golani Brigade, was killed this morning, Thursday, as a result of being hit by a Hezbollah suicide drone in southern Lebanon, adding that another soldier was seriously injured in the incident.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced that 12 of its soldiers were wounded due to the explosion of a Hezbollah drone targeting an armored vehicle near the Shomera area in the Western Galilee this Thursday morning.
Thus, the number of Israeli military casualties in battles in southern Lebanon since March 2 has risen to 17 soldiers.
Earlier today, the Israeli army radio reported that a drone launched from southern Lebanon hit a target in the Shomera area in the Western Galilee, causing a vehicle at the site to catch fire, but no injuries were reported.
Israeli Channel 12 reported damage to several vehicles due to a rocket fired from Lebanon near the Shomera area, and the Yisrael Hayom newspaper confirmed the wounding of an armored vehicle and the outbreak of fires due to the rocket attack targeting the area.
These developments come after the Israeli Home Front Command announced the activation of sirens in 15 locations in the Western Galilee, indicating the detection of rocket launches and a drone from Lebanon.
In another development, the Israeli army announced the launch of an interceptor missile toward what it said was "a suspicious aerial target" detected in the area where its forces are stationed in southern Lebanon.
Casualties in Israeli raids
In Lebanon, the Lebanese army announced the killing of a soldier and family members in an Israeli raid on their home in the town of Kafr Rouman in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that 15 people were killed and 25 others wounded due to Israeli raids on the towns of Jibsheet, Toul, and Harouf in southern Lebanon.
The Ministry said that four people were killed and 13 injured in an Israeli raid on the town of Toul in southern Lebanon.
The Ministry had earlier announced that 10 people were killed and 58 wounded in the past 24 hours due to Israeli raids targeting the towns of Jibsheet, Toul, and Harouf in southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese news agency reported the killing of two people and the injury of a third in an Israeli raid on the town of Qana in southern Lebanon.
It added that Israeli warplanes continued their attacks since dawn on villages in the Bint Jbeil district in southern Lebanon, where the towns of Beit Yahoun and Al-Jumayjimah were targeted, causing damage to infrastructure and homes.
The agency reported that the Israeli army also bombed the towns of Barashit and Haris in the Bint Jbeil district in three waves, targeting several residential buildings and roads.
Lebanese sources reported that Israeli raids targeted the towns of Froun, Adshit, Al-Majadal, Qlawayeh Haboush, Deir Bin, Houmin Al-Fouqa, and others in southern Lebanon.
It also reported that Israeli raids targeted the towns of Kherbet Selim, Kfara, Haris, Srifa, Toul, Jibsheet, Harouf, Beit Yahoun, Al-Ghandouriyah, and Qlawayeh in the south as well.
Earlier this morning, local sources reported that Israeli artillery shelling targeted the towns of Zawtar Al-Sharqiya, Yahmur Al-Shaqif, and Biyut Al-Sayad in southern Lebanon.
Israeli alerts
In another development, the Israeli army issued a warning to the residents of 8 villages and towns in southern Lebanon to immediately evacuate their homes, and urged them to stay at least 1000 meters away from them, coinciding with the announcement of a series of strikes on what it said were "Hezbollah targets" in the region.
Meanwhile, informed sources reported an escalation in military operations in southern Lebanon, noting that the Israeli army blew up residential blocks in Bint Jbeil, as part of Israel's scorched earth policy by blowing up residential blocks in the south, particularly in the cities of Bint Jbeil and Khiam.
Yesterday, Wednesday, the Israeli army killed 5 Lebanese from one family in a raid on a town in southern Lebanon, and the Lebanese army confirmed the killing of a soldier and his brother in an Israeli raid that targeted their motorcycle in the town of Kherbet Selim in southern Lebanon.
Shooting down an Israeli drone
Conversely, Hezbollah today, Thursday, announced that it targeted with a swooping drone a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the town of Shama in southern Lebanon, indicating a confirmed hit.
Earlier today, it announced the downing of an Israeli drone of the model "Hermes 450 Zik" with a surface-to-air missile, in the skies of Nabatieh.
The party stated that its fighters targeted an "155" self-propelled howitzer south of the town of Yarin, in southern Lebanon, confirming its hit.
The Israeli army announced that Hezbollah shot down an Israeli military drone over southern Lebanon using a surface-to-air missile, noting that an investigation into the incident is underway.
It also announced that the Israeli army dismantled rocket launch sites and infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in the Shebaa Farms.
Calls to pressure Israel
In light of these developments, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun emphasized the necessity of pressuring Israel to make it respect international laws and agreements and stop targeting civilians and medics in his country.
Aoun said that Israeli violations and demolition activities targeting homes and places of worship are still ongoing in southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire announcement, urging the relevant authorities to assist Lebanon in clarifying the fate of Lebanese prisoners in Israeli prisons.
The Lebanese presidency reported that the UN Special Coordinator briefed President Joseph Aoun on the results of her contacts in Israel, as part of the efforts to solidify the ceasefire.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri urged the state, with all its authorities, and the international community to urgently act to compel Israel to immediately cease its aggression, calling for the speedy establishment of an international fact-finding committee to investigate the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against the Lebanese.
In the same context, a Lebanese military official said that the military institution is "aware of the size of the challenges" Lebanon faces on various levels, emphasizing that the army's vision is based on building a force capable of securing national sovereignty and providing security for the Lebanese.
He added that awareness among various political levels is essential to prevent sectarian strife, warning that sectarian provocation poses a threat to civil peace, and affirming that "the awareness of the Lebanese is the strongest weapon" to maintain internal stability.
The military official explained that the Lebanese army had returned to 20 points south of the Litani River that it had vacated last month.
He accused Israeli forces of targeting the Lebanese army during its rescue operations for citizens in the border areas, noting that the area occupied by Israel is estimated to be about 600 square kilometers.
He also mentioned that the army had strengthened its forces and security measures in the capital, Beirut, in implementation of the government's decision to extend its authority over the capital.
Trump calls for de-escalation
On another note, Axios reported that U.S. President Donald Trump informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the need to avoid fully resuming the war in Lebanon, adding that Trump said that once Iran is eliminated, Hezbollah will automatically be eliminated as well.
Despite the declared truce in Lebanon, Israel continues to escalate its military operations in the south through air raids and artillery shelling on areas in southern Lebanon, in continuous violations of the ceasefire.
Since March 2, Israel has launched an aggression on Lebanon, resulting in the death of 2534 people and injuring 7863 others, and causing the displacement of over 1.6 million citizens, nearly one-fifth of the population, according to the latest official data.
On April 17, a ceasefire lasting 10 days commenced, later extended until May 17. However, Israel violates it daily, with bloody bombings and widespread demolition of buildings in dozens of villages in southern Lebanon.
