Israeli forces have launched a series of attacks across southern and eastern Lebanon, as Israel targets the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah amid the joint Israeli-United States war on Iran.
Two Israeli air attacks hit Lebanon’s southern city of Tyre on Tuesday, known as Sour in Arabic. This came shortly after the Israeli army issued a statement threatening attacks on Tyre and Sidon, known as Saida, urging residents to “evacuate immediately and move at least 300 metres [about 1,000ft] away”
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified since the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during US-Israeli strikes last week. Since then, the opposing forces have clashed in eastern Lebanon, while Israel has carried out attacks across Lebanon, including the capital, Beirut.
“There is a battle for control over south Lebanon, with the Israeli military increasing its presence along the border and within Lebanese territory,” said Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from Zahrani in Lebanon.
Israeli media are reporting that “Israel wants to expand its presence in southern Lebanon, expand that buffer zone,” she said, but “Hezbollah says it has so far repelled advances on a number of axes.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli warplanes launched attacks overnight on the towns of Almajadel, Chaqra, Srifa and in the Bekaa Valley.
NNA also reported heavy Israeli attacks near the town of Ansariya as well as on the outskirts of Bint Jbeil and Ainatha. It said four people were killed in the Bint Jbeil district.
Al Jazeera Arabic reported other Israeli attacks in the southern Lebanese towns of Majdal in the Tyre district and Kafr Sasir in the Nabatieh district.
This came as Lebanese media reported that a Maronite Catholic priest, Father Pierre al-Rahi, was killed by Israeli tank fire in the village of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese newspaper L’Orient-Le Jour reported that al-Rahi was killed after an Israeli tank fired on the home of a local couple a second time after several people had rushed there to try to help.
Aljazeera.com