Two killed, six injured in Israeli strike on Jwayya
Two people were killed and six others were injured as Hezbollah and Israel traded fire Wednesday, a day after six Hezbollah fighters were killed in south Lebanon and several were injured in north Israel.
A drone struck a vehicle in the southern village of Jwayya in the Tyre district and Israeli artillery shelled al-Jebbayn, Mhaybib, Zebqine and al-Naqoura. The health ministry said the strike on a motorcycle in Jwayya killed two people, and injured six others.
The Israeli army said the Jwayya strike targeted Hezbollah member Hassan Fares Jishi, describing him as a commander in Hezbollah’s anti-tank force.
Israeli warplanes also raided the southern towns of Aitaroun, Halta, Kfarkila and Kounine.
Artillery shelled overnight the outskirts of Shaqra and Baraachit, and flare bombs hit villages along the blue line. A woman was injured in the southern village of Shaqra, the health ministry said.
Hezbollah, for its part, targeted Wednesday the al-Raheb and the Jal al-Alam posts with artillery shells and later attacked the Malkia post.
On Tuesday, at least 19 people including six soldiers were wounded in northern Israel after Hezbollah launched drone attacks, but most of the people were hurt by an Israeli interceptor rocket that missed and hit the ground.
Authorities issued sweeping new guidelines in northern Israel for all residents to "avoid all non-vital activity and to stay near a safe area" until further notice.
On the Lebanese side, six Hezbollah fighters were killed in Israeli strikes on Tuesday in the southern towns of Mayfadoun and Odaisseh.
Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged near-daily strikes for the past 10 months during the war in Gaza.
Efforts continue around the region to prevent the war from becoming a wider conflict after the killings last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas’ top political leader in Iran.
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed to retaliate against Israel, "no matter what the consequences are."
- Sound barrier -
Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier over the south, Beirut and Mount Lebanon Wednesday, in what appears to have become a daily practice.
Low-flying Israeli military aircraft had broken the sound barrier over Beirut Tuesday ahead of Nasrallah's speech, shaking buildings and increasing anxiety among the capital’s residents.
Source: Naharnet, Associated Press
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