Israel Draws ‘Belt of Fire’ in South Lebanon in First since Beginning of Confrontations

A man looks at a crater following an Israeli airstrike targeting Kfar Kila village on the border with Israel, in southern Lebanon, 31 December 2023. EPA/STR

France has pledged to continue mobilizing its efforts to urge all parties to exercise restraint and to contribute to the sustainable return of stability to the southern Lebanon region, where the pace of bombing is escalating daily.
Israeli aircraft carried out intensive raids that created a belt of fire around the border town of Kafr Kila, the first of its kind since the outbreak of confrontations, while the Israelis who live 7 kilometers from the Lebanese border say that their lives have been “severely undermined.”
French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé Magro, who is yet to submit his credentials due to the presidential vacuum, confirmed in a message on the occasion of the New Year France’s commitment to stand alongside the Lebanese people.
“For years, we have played a decisive role in preserving the stability of southern Lebanon, particularly within the framework of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which is its keystone, and through our contribution to UNIFIL,” the ambassador said in the message.
In addition, Margo noted that France pledged to intensify efforts to encourage all parties to exercise restraint and contribute to the sustainable return of stability.
France also committed to maintaining collaboration with international partners to provide joint support to Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army intensified its attacks, relying mainly on massive air raids, in addition to drone raids and artillery shelling, which reached the campus of Mays al-Jabal Governmental Hospital on Monday, where a shell fell in the hospital’s parking lot.
In parallel, Israeli aircraft carried out air strikes targeting the Al-Musalbiyyat area between the towns of Hula and Markaba, resulting in major damage to the electrical cable network. Other raids were also reported between the towns of Zawtar, near the city of Nabatieh, and the town of Deir Saryan, as well as attacks between Aitaroun and Bint Jbeil, the largest city in the region.
On the other side, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Monday that residents of 14 residential communities on the northern border submitted a petition to the Supreme Court, demanding their evacuation or compensation for the damage accumulated since Oct. 7.
The newspaper said that residents of the seven remote communities argue that their daily lives have been severely undermined since the beginning of the confrontations.