A neighborhood devastated by Israeli airstrikes in the city of Sour, Nov. 27, 2024. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L'Orient-Le Jour)
Israeli attacks continued on Sunday in South Lebanon, coinciding with the visit of U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus, who conducted a tour of key political leaders. According to the Israeli military, an Israeli airstrike killed two Hezbollah members in Zibqine, located in the Sour district.
On the same day, the Israeli military targeted a bulldozer involved in rehabilitation work in Zibqine, resulting in two deaths, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Our correspondent in South Lebanon, Muntasser Abdallah, reports that the strike also caused injuries. The victims were identified as Adnan Fadel Bzeih and Ali Salibi. Salibi had previously lost an eye and sustained a hand injury during the Hezbollah's pager attack last September, according to our correspondent. The party has not commented on the attack.
In a statement, the Israeli military took responsibility for the strike, stating that "a fighter jet targeted two Hezbollah terrorists operating on an engineering vehicle in the Zibqine area of South Lebanon." The two men were killed "while attempting to rebuild Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure," the military added.
Explosion in Beit Lif
On Sunday, two people were slightly injured in Beit Lif (Sour district) by the explosion of an unidentified object while they were clearing debris from a house. According to our correspondent, the object might have been a bomb dropped during the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Additionally, a Lebanese Army aircraft was observed flying over several villages in Nabatieh. Our correspondent also denied reports claiming that an Israeli drone had struck a van in Naqoura (Sour district), without causing any casualties.
Civil defense rescuers also discovered the body of a victim from Israeli airstrikes during the thirteen-month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah in Kfar Hammam (Hasbaya). The remains were transferred to the government hospital in Marjayoun for identification.
Saturday night to Sunday morning saw a fragile calm, despite a few incidents. During the night, Israeli artillery fired a flare from a newly established position between the villages of Houla and Markaba (Marjayoun district), linked to the five sites Israel continues to occupy in South Lebanon. An Israeli drone also dropped a grenade between the villages of Taybeh and Robb Thalathin (Marjayoun district). Meanwhile, residents reported seeing an Israeli bulldozer, accompanied by several vehicles, constructing earth mounds on the outskirts of Shebaa (Hasbaya district).
Israel is Lebanon’s enemy, declares Haykal
During a tour on Saturday along the Lebanese-Syrian border, the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Army General Rodolphe Haykal stated that Israel is Lebanon’s “primary enemy,” accusing it of “persistently violating Lebanon’s sovereignty and the safety of its citizens,” according to a statement released by the army.
As part of his visit, General Haykal — who has held his position since last March — inspected the command of the 2nd Land Border Regiment, as well as the “Qozhaya Bitar” and “al-Machrifa” posts in the Qaa region, and a unit from the 9th Infantry Brigade in Hermel, northeastern Lebanon.
“The [Lebanese] Army is the national institution that protects our country in all its components, uniting soldiers from all Lebanese regions to defend the nation and ensure its security both internally and at the borders,” the army chief emphasized. “You are fulfilling your duty with determination, combating smuggling, and playing a positive role in the border area between Lebanon and Syria, through ongoing communication and coordination with Syrian authorities,” he added.
According to our correspondent in the Bekaa, Sarah Abdallah, the visit was accompanied by a large-scale military deployment along the international road crossing the plain, at the entrances of villages and towns stretching from Ras Baalbeck to Qaa, and near the Lebanese-Syrian border. Deadly clashes occurred in March between Lebanese clans and new Syrian forces along the border between the two countries.
