After a tumultuous weekend, the southern Lebanon front witnessed renewed violence on the morning of Monday, October 30, marked by intense airstrikes and cross-border bombardments.
Israeli reconnaissance flights were reportedly conducted early in the morning over villages in the western sector, further escalating the growing tension in the region. A strike targeted the outskirts of the town of Yatar, as the Israeli air force broke the sound barrier, causing tremors in nearby houses in the Tyre region.
In another concerning development, Al Hadath TV reported heavy artillery fire in the Aita al-Shaab area, as the NBN channel reported that the Israeli army targeted the Labouna area in Naqoura with numerous artillery projectiles and flare bombs that resulted in a fire outbreak. Similarly, 15 shells landed in the Mashrefa area south of Naqoura, causing additional fires. Meanwhile, fires that had initially erupted in the forests around Naqoura and Alma al-Shaab on Sunday persisted, hampering the efforts of Civil Defense teams to extinguish them due to the ongoing bombardments.
The flare-up at the border is being followed with concern in Lebanon, where there are fears of a major Israeli retaliation should the military “rules of engagement” governing the exchange of artillery fire at the southern border with Israel be broken. Up to now, these exchanges of fire have been more or less limited to military targets, with civilian objects on both sides of the border being spared.
In this context, military sources warned of repeated rocket attacks on Israeli territory by armed Palestinian factions based in southern Lebanon, particularly in the caza of Tyre.
The same sources indicated that the continuation of this bombardment would have “excessively negative repercussions on stability in the southern part of the country and in Lebanon in general.
According to the same sources, army units deployed in southern Lebanon are stepping up their patrols and combing operations to locate and dismantle rocket-launching bases, in coordination with UNIFIL contingents.
Overnight Bombardments
During the night, the Israeli army dropped flares and incendiary bombs in the western and central regions, causing fires in the bushes near the Blue Line along Lebanon’s southern border. These regions and villages also endured a tense Sunday night marked by an expansion of bombing zones and attacks by Israeli military aircraft.
The Israeli army bombarded the area around Al-Raheb on the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab with 12 shells, some of which seemed to have been fired from the air.
According to Israeli army sources, any Hezbollah cell near the security fence or any source of rocket launchers will be eliminated.
In another area of southern Lebanon, security forces successfully defused a missile ramp, which was ready for launch, in the Khensa valley in Hasbaya.
Hezbollah reported the death of one of its fighters, although the date and location of his death have yet to be specified.
For its part, the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement issued a statement indicating that on October 29, a battalion managed to penetrate Israeli territory, reaching as far as the Hanita military site, where PIJ fighters confronted enemy forces. The movement also issued a second statement on behalf of the al-Quds Brigades announcing the deaths of two of its fighters in the same operation.
The weekend witnessed a significant escalation in the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel. The pro-Iranian party marked a turning point in its strategy by successfully shooting down an Israeli army drone with a surface-to-air missile, as confirmed in a statement released by Hezbollah. This event signifies a crucial moment in the confrontations between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, which had previously maintained air superiority over Hezbollah. Over the past few days, the Shiite group suffered heavy losses in terms of human lives as Israeli drones were able to pinpoint Hezbollah positions and conduct targeted attacks.
In retaliation, the Israeli army carried out airstrikes deep within Lebanese territory, extending as far as 20 kilometers from the border. This marks the first such incursion since October 7.
