Israeli army demolishes houses in Aitaroun, Houla, in south Lebanon

The night in southern Lebanon was marked by new infiltrations of the Israeli army into Lebanese territory, this time in the border villages of Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil district) and Houla (Marjayoun district), where soldiers demolished homes.

These infiltrations, which took place and were partially claimed by the Israeli army, occurred as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asked the army on Oct. 30 to respond to any ground incursion, after Israeli soldiers had infiltrated Blida, just north of Aitaroun, and shot dead an employee who was sleeping at the municipal headquarters.

After 4 a.m. on the night from Monday to Tuesday, soldiers infiltrated the Khanouq neighborhood in Aitaroun and demolished four houses with explosive charges before withdrawing, according to our correspondent in the South.

The Aitaroun municipality condemned the demolition, denouncing "a blatant attack on the residents' safety." It called on the Lebanese state and all its security services to take positions and "adopt firm and deterrent measures that would ensure the protection of citizens, guarantee the stability of their daily lives and preserve their dignity."

An Israeli commando carried out another incursion in Houla to destroy "buildings used as infrastructure" by Hezbollah, according to a statement from the Arabic-language spokesperson of the force, Avichay Adraee.

These destructions have so far not been confirmed by local sources, according to our correspondent.

Adraee also posted images this morning, which he says were taken by members of the "769th Brigade" during the incursion "on the night between Monday and Tuesday."

The Israeli army, while regularly commenting on its strikes and targeted killings in southern Lebanon, rarely claims responsibility for infiltrations into Lebanese territory since the cease-fire came into effect.

In the morning, Israeli artillery fire also targeted the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district), according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon. Earlier Monday evening, around 10 p.m., Israeli forces fired machine guns from their Roueissat al-Alam post toward the edges of Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya district).

These attacks come as President Joseph Aoun expressed regret in the morning from Sofia, Bulgaria, that all the Lebanese authorities' requests to the international community to pressure Israel have remained unanswered.

Tel Aviv says it targets Hezbollah infrastructure and fighters with its strikes, carried out despite the cease-fire, and refuses to withdraw from South Lebanon until the party is disarmed.

Beirut has committed to regaining the monopoly on weapons and has started dismantling Hezbollah's arsenal south of the Litani without opposition, but the party led by Naim Qassem refuses to hand over all its weapons present on Lebanese territory as long as the Israeli attacks and occupation continue.