Air raid hits automobile in Khaldeh, south of Lebanese capital, as Israel continues its near-daily assaults on Lebanon.
An Israeli drone assault has killed not less than one particular person and injured three close to the Lebanese capital, Beirut, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Well being says, the latest violation of the ceasefire between the 2 international locations.
The air raid on Thursday hit a automobile on a busy motorway within the Khaldeh space, about 12km (8 miles) south of Beirut.
The Israeli army mentioned it focused “army websites and weapons depots” within the space.
Bombing an space close to the Lebanese capital marks one other escalation by Israel, which has been finishing up near-daily bombardment in Lebanon because it reached a truce with Hezbollah in November of final yr.
The identities of the victims of the assault haven’t been launched.
Reporting from outdoors Beirut, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr famous that the Israeli air raid came about throughout rush hour, with many individuals making their method from Beirut to south Lebanon.
“Israel can also be appearing with little restraint. The Lebanese state desires these assaults to cease, however the state has little leverage. Hezbollah, too, if it does reply, may set off a harsh Israeli retaliation,” Khodr mentioned.
“We don’t see a wide-scale Israeli bombardment like we noticed final yr, focusing on areas the place Hezbollah has affect, however we see these assaults taking place nearly every day.”
In a while Thursday, the Israeli army carried out a wave of air strikes throughout south Lebanon, with heavy bombardment focusing on the outskirts of Zawtar al-Charqiyeh, close to Nabatieh, Lebanon’s official Nationwide Information Company reported.
Lebanese officers typically condemn such assaults and name on the US and France – the 2 sponsors of final yr’s ceasefire – to strain Israel to finish its violations.
However diplomatic efforts have didn’t stem the ceasefire breaches, amid unwillingness by the US and its Western allies to carry Israel to account.
The repeated Israeli assaults are testing Hezbollah’s place in Lebanon after it suffered painful blows in its confrontation with Israel final yr.
The Iran-allied group began attacking Israeli army positions on the border in October 2023, in what it mentioned was a “assist entrance” to assist convey an finish to the struggle on Gaza.
For months, the battle remained largely confined to the border area, however in September of final yr, Israel launched an all-out assault on Lebanon that destroyed massive elements of the nation, particularly areas the place Hezbollah enjoys assist.
The Israeli army additionally assassinated the group’s high political and army leaders, together with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.
A ceasefire was reached in November, in accordance with Safety Council Decision 1701, which ended a earlier battle in 2006.
The truce stipulated that Hezbollah should withdraw its forces to the north of the Litani River, about 30km (20 miles) from the Israeli border.
However after the truce got here into impact, Israel continued to occupy elements of south Lebanon in violation of the settlement, and it has been finishing up assaults throughout the nation.
Weakened by the struggle, Hezbollah has kept away from responding. The Lebanese Armed Forces have additionally didn’t hit again in opposition to Israel.
The impression strike in Khaldeh comes amid Lebanese media reviews a couple of US proposal that might see Hezbollah disarm in change for an finish to Israel’s assaults and a full withdrawal from the nation.
However Hezbollah’s Secretary-Normal Naim Qassem appeared to dismiss any settlement to surrender the group’s weapons that might contain Israel.
“We’re a bunch that can not be pushed to humiliation. We is not going to surrender our land. We is not going to surrender our arms to the Israeli enemy,” Qassem mentioned. “And we is not going to settle for to be threatened into concessions.”
Qassem beforehand warned that Hezbollah’s “endurance” in permitting the Lebanese state to cope with the Israeli assaults diplomatically could run out.
However given the price of the earlier struggle on Hezbollah’s army construction in addition to its civilian base, it’s not clear whether or not the group is able to renew the battle with Israel.