Wednesday morning, a car was targeted in Bchamoun near Al-Tabsh Mosque and another on the Kahaleh road near Araya.
Kahaleh
A Lebanese security official told AFP that an Israeli strike on a Hezbollah van carrying munitions, in Kahaleh, near Beirut killed the driver.
"A van belonging to Hezbollah was targeted in an Israeli strike on the Kahaleh road and its driver killed," the official said, adding that the vehicle was carrying munitions.
The official requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
An AFP correspondent saw a vehicle on fire and said the Kahaleh road, which links Beirut to Damascus, had been blocked in both directions.
Lebanon's official National News Agency had earlier reported an "enemy drone strike" on a vehicle.
Last week, the NNA said an Israeli strike targeting a car on the same highway killed two people.
In August 2023, two people were killed in clashes between Hezbollah members and residents of the Christian town of Kahaleh, after a truck carrying munitions for the group overturned on the highway.
Evacuation of Baalbek
The Israeli army urged residents of Baalbek and surrounding villages (Baalbek, Ain Bourday, and Douris ) to leave immediately Wednesday, warning it was preparing attacks on Hezbollah targets.
"The (Israeli army) will act forcefully against Hezbollah interests within your city and villages", military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X that included a map of the area.
The South
South Lebanon faced a severe escalation in hostilities on Wednesday, with heavy Israeli airstrikes and artillery reported across multiple areas.
Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes across southern Lebanon in the morning, targeting the Litani River near Khardali and additional areas, including Al-Bayadah, Tyre and Kfarchouba.
Clashes erupted in Shebaa, involving heavy machine gunfire and artillery following two initial airstrikes.
Ambulances were deployed to Ansar, where airstrikes resulted in significant damage.
Israeli forces expanded their attacks throughout the morning, targeting towns such as al-Jabin, Tayr Harfa, Shamaa, Khiam and Shebaa.
Artillery shelling struck areas near Naqoura, Alma al-Shaab, Tayr Harfa and Shebaa, while later strikes resumed on Yarine, Majdel Zoun and Qatrani Jazzin.
Heavy damage was reported in Hasbaya, Dhayra, Jebbayn and Yarine due to continuous shelling.
Renewed Incursions in Khiam
At dawn, Israeli forces attempted incursions into Khiam from the eastern and southern flanks, sparking heavy clashes with Hezbollah forces.
The fighting involved machine guns, artillery and Merkava tanks. In al-Bazouriya, six people sustained injuries from airstrikes and were taken to Tyre hospitals.
A dawn airstrike in Zarariya’s al-Baidar neighborhood resulted in several injuries and three fatalities.
In Haret Saida, the Lebanese Red Cross rescued a woman from the rubble. Elsewhere, airstrikes destroyed homes and a police station in al-Duweir.
Israeli forces also directed machine gunfire toward Maroun and Yaroun, and artillery continued to shell Tiri and Kounine. Drones and warplanes maintained heavy surveillance over Tyre and Bint Jbeil districts.
Hezbollah Resists Israeli Border Incursions
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a rocket strike on Israeli soldiers in Al-Amra, near Khiam.
The group reported booby-trapping and detonating a mosque in the border town of Um al-Tut after extensive destruction to Islamic and Christian sites.
Fierce battles ensued as Israeli troops attempted to infiltrate multiple villages under cover of darkness.
Hezbollah reportedly forced Israeli soldiers to retreat, causing losses in personnel and equipment.
The group also said it launched drones at an Israeli base in the port city of Haifa on Wednesday: we "launched an air attack at 7:45 am with a squadron of attack drones" on a "base in southern Haifa", the pro-Iranian group said in a statement.
Israeli Army and Airspace Incidents
The Israeli army intercepted three drones launched from Lebanon into Western Galilee, triggering sirens across Nahariya, Ras al-Naqoura, Shlomi, Liman, Haifa Bay and Central Galilee.
The military also reported a surface-to-surface missile launched from Lebanon, activating sirens across northern Israel. Several rockets reached near Netanya, north of Tel Aviv.
In Nahariya, a drone damaged a factory that specializes in aircraft components. The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that the factory was inoperable.
In response, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes on over 100 Hezbollah-linked sites in Lebanon, escalating cross-border hostilities.
Death Toll
The Ministry of Public Health issued a statement of the latest death toll, which now stands at 2,792 killed and 12,772 injured since the onset of the war.
Airstrikes in the Bekaa Valley
Israeli warplanes extended their operations to the Bekaa Valley, striking Hermel, the Lebanese-Syrian border, and the Qald al-Saba crossing.
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