Israeli Army Targets Hezbollah Positions in Lebanon

 Smoke rises over a part of Lebanon as seen from Israel's border with the country, in northern Israel, October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Smoke rises over a part of Lebanon as seen from Israel's border with the country, in northern Israel, October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
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Israeli Army Targets Hezbollah Positions in Lebanon

 Smoke rises over a part of Lebanon as seen from Israel's border with the country, in northern Israel, October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Smoke rises over a part of Lebanon as seen from Israel's border with the country, in northern Israel, October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

The Israeli army announced early on Thursday that its troops have targeted Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.

On Wednesday, Hezbollah said it had attacked four locations including Israeli positions in Metula, Rweisat al-Alam, the occupied Shebaa farms and Malkiye using guided missiles in several of the strikes.

The Israeli army said it was responding by firing artillery at areas in the western sector including the towns of Labbuna, the outskirts of Naqoura, al-Dhaira, Ramia and Aita al-Shaab.

Israeli strikes also targeted the eastern sector in the vicinity of Mays al-Jabal, as Israeli warplanes hovered over the villages of Mays al-Jabal, Houla and Markaba.

Later on Thursday, the Israeli army said that anti-tank missile fire were reported in the Manara area on the Lebanese border, according to the Jerusalem Post 

The paper added that due to the incident, the Upper Galilee Regional Council has told residents to stay indoors in protected areas.
 



US Wants to See Israel Scale Back Some of Beirut Strikes as it Targets Hezbollah Stronghold

A cloud of smoke erupts following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs on October 19, 2024. (AFP)
A cloud of smoke erupts following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs on October 19, 2024. (AFP)
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US Wants to See Israel Scale Back Some of Beirut Strikes as it Targets Hezbollah Stronghold

A cloud of smoke erupts following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs on October 19, 2024. (AFP)
A cloud of smoke erupts following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs on October 19, 2024. (AFP)

The United States would like to see Israel scale back some of its strikes in and around the Lebanese capital of Beirut, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday.

"The number of civilian casualties have been far too high," he told reporters at a G7 defense gathering in the Italian city of Naples.  

"We’d like to see Israel scale back on some of the strikes it’s taking, especially in and around Beirut, and we’d like to see things transition to some sort of negotiation that will allow civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes."

Tens of thousands of people have fled Beirut's southern suburbs - once a densely populated zone that also housed Hezbollah offices and underground installations - since Israel began regularly targeting the zone approximately three weeks ago.

On Saturday afternoon, Israel carried out heavy strikes on several locations in the city's southern suburbs, leaving thick plumes of smoke wafting over the city horizon throughout the evening.

The strikes came as Hezbollah fired salvos of rockets at northern Israel, with one drone directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's holiday home, his spokesman said.  

Austin added that he has raised issue about the security of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with Israeli counterpart.  

Israel informed him it has no intent to target the peacekeepers, who are deployed in the South.