Israel resumes raids on Beirut suburbs, controls part of Lebanese southern town

Beirut, Nov 17: Israeli warplanes launched five fresh raids on Beirut’s southern suburbs Sunday morning shortly after the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning, Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Among the raids, two targeted the vicinity of a church opposite Saint George Hospital in the Hadath area, two more targeted and destroyed a 12-story residential building near a church in the Chiyah area, and the fifth destroyed a building in the Burj al-Barajneh area, the NNA reported.

The report did not specify the casualties involved in the raids.

Shortly before the raids, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee issued a warning on social media platform X, asking residents in mapped buildings in the above-mentioned areas to evacuate.

The Israeli army has intensified its raids in the past few days on various areas in Beirut’s southern suburbs that allegedly belong to Hezbollah, causing great destruction and heavy material losses.

Throughout Saturday, Israeli warplanes launched four waves of raids, totaling 18, on areas of Haret Hreik, Ghobeiry, Burj Al-Barajneh, Chiyah, Bir Al-Abd, Al-Jamous, and Al-Kafaat, the NNA reported.

Meanwhile, Lebanese military sources, who spoke anonymously, told Xinhua news agency that Israeli infantry forces advanced about 3-5 km into southern Lebanon on Sunday at dawn, managing to take control again of part of Lebanon’s southern town of Khiam.

Israeli forces, including dozens of soldiers, tanks, and a bulldozer, crossed the Blue Line at around 2 a.m. local time (0000 GMT), reaching the southeastern edge of Khiam, a key Hezbollah stronghold on the eastern side of the border area in southern Lebanon, they said.

Hezbollah said Sunday in separate statements that it targeted with rocket barrages a gathering of Israeli vehicles and forces in the area of al-Umrah, the town of Sarda, the village of Kafr Kila, and the Israeli town of Metula, all surrounding Khiam.

It added that it also ambushed and was clashing with an Israeli force advancing on the eastern outskirts of southwestern Lebanon’s village of Chamaa, causing injuries among the Israeli force.

The Israeli army reached the eastern edge of Khiam on October 29, stayed there for three days, and was then forced to retreat behind the borderline, according to media reports.

Since September 23, the Israeli army has leveled up its air attack on Lebanon in an escalation of conflict with Hezbollah. In early October, Israel initiated a ground operation across its northern border into Lebanon.

According to the Lebanese health ministry, the death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since the beginning of the war on October 8, 2023, has reached 3,452, with injuries up to 14,664.