Woman killed, 20 wounded after violent strikes on Nabatiyeh, Iqlim al-Tuffah
A woman was killed and 20 other people were wounded Friday after Israel said it targeted Hezbollah "underground assets" in south Lebanon, despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Israeli army said it targeted Hezbollah "underground assets" in south Lebanon as it carried out a series of violent airstrikes on Nabatieh al-Fawqa and the heights of Iqlim al-Tuffah in south Lebanon.
The airstrikes came in two waves on the mountains overlooking Nabatieh and bunker buster bombs were used, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.
The strikes continued during the day as warplanes struck a region between the southern towns of Ansar and Zrariyeh.
A woman was killed and twenty other people were wounded as a residential building in Nabatieh al-Fawqa was hit with a missile that knocked out the building's top floor.
Israel later said it didn't bomb any building in Nabatieh and that the projectile that hit the building flew from a nearby Hezbollah depot after an Israeli strike.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a "blatant violation of national sovereignty" and a "threat to stability".
The strikes come a day after Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said Lebanon cannot submit to dictations nor surrender to occupation.
"This is our country, we want it dignified and we will resist for that," Qassem said Thursday.
Israel has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon, particularly in the south, since a November 27 ceasefire meant to end over a year of hostilities that left Hezbollah severely weakened. Friday’s strikes were more intense than usual.
The Israeli military said in a statement that its fighter jets struck a site used by Hezbollah to manage its fire and defense array in the area and is part of a significant underground project that was completely taken out of use.
The Israeli army said it identified rehabilitation attempts by Hezbollah beforehand and struck infrastructure sites in the area.
Hezbollah suffered significant losses during the war, which left over 4,000 people dead in Lebanon and caused destruction worth $11 billions. In Israel, 127 people died, including 80 soldiers.
As part of the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah was pushed away from areas bordering Israel in south Lebanon and is not allowed to have an armed presence south of the Litani River. Friday’s airstrikes were north of the river.
The Israeli army was also to pull away from south Lebanon under the ceasefire deal but has kept its troops on five hills it deems "strategic."
Source: Naharnet
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