Buildings destroyed by an Israeli strike in Meis el-Jabal, Southern Lebanon on May 5, 2024. (Credit: AFP.)
SOUTH LEBANON — The Israeli army infiltrated Lebanese territory on the night of Thursday to Friday and blew up a textile factory in Mais al-Jabal, in the Marjayoun district, and a residence in Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district).
Shortly after midnight, an Israeli army infantry unit infiltrated Lebanese territory at Mais al-Jabal and blew up a home textile manufacturing factory. According to our correspondent, this factory is located on the main road near the local government hospital.
The explosion occurred around 2:45 a.m. The factory had already been destroyed during the 13-month war between Hezbollah and the Israeli Army and had subsequently been completely renovated and re-equipped by its owner, Sobhi Hamdane. It housed state-of-the-art equipment and machines and employed many locals. A source within the municipality condemned a "new blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a barbaric method aimed at preventing the return to life in the border area." "The state is not able to protect its people," this source denounced.
Israeli soldiers also booby-trapped and blew up the engine of a bulldozer used by the Southern Council teams for demolition work in the Karkazan neighborhood, north of Mais al-Jabal.
The municipality of Mais al-Jabal denounced in a statement "cowardly assaults and daily cease-fire violations," calling on the government to "take responsibility" for this situation. "These infractions are a stain on the record of the new mandate" of President Joseph Aoun and government of Nawaf Salam, and the "last nail in the coffin of international resolutions, national sovereignty principles, international legitimacy, and diplomacy." The municipality denounced "the absence of concrete reaction from the State, in the face of Israeli attacks, neglect that will have dire consequences."
After a similar explosion at Aita al-Shaab, the municipality of this village in the Bint Jbeil district denounced the dynamiting, at dawn, of a house inhabited by a civilian, Raed Hassan Srour, and his family. The municipality explains that "the Israeli enemy barbarically dynamited this residence at dawn," after "a series of provocations last week, such as the launching of stun grenades near the house."
"This attack is an egregious violation of 1701 and a direct targeting of civilians," the municipality denounces, calling on "the Lebanese authorities and international human rights organizations to denounce this criminal act and to press for an end to repeated attacks against our families in the South."
Despite the truce in effect in Lebanon since Nov. 27, 2024, the Israeli army continues to occupy five positions in South Lebanon, where it regularly infiltrates border villages and continues to carry out airstrikes. The Israeli shootings and strikes since the beginning of the cease-fire have killed at least 251 people, according to U.N. figures compiled by our publication.
The latest victim of these attacks was killed in his car Thursday afternoon on the Khaldeh highway, south of Beirut, by a drone strike. According to the Israeli army, he was a man in charge of smuggling weapons "for the al-Quds force" of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, who sponsor Hezbollah. According to our correspondent, the man was identified as Qassem al-Husseini.
Reporting by Muntasser Abdallah.
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