A precarious calm prevailed on Saturday evening on the southern front, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened at an evening press conference to inflict “severe strikes” on Hezbollah if it stepped up its attacks.
Saturday afternoon was marked by hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, which carried out an air raid on a house in Bint Jbeil, destroying the building. One person was injured and taken to the town’s Salah Ghandour hospital. His condition is stable. Until late evening, rescue and Civil Defense teams were working to clear the rubble.
Air raids were also carried out in the area between Kfar Kila and Tall al-Nahas. According to the National News Agency (ANI), residents of Deir Mimas reported that bullets had hit Arid al-Ballan.
The Israeli army also carried out a sweep with automatic weapons from the settlement of Misgav Am (in the Galilee). Bullets hit the outskirts of Kfar Kila. An Israeli drone also targeted a van belonging to the municipality of Yaroun, as well as a civilian car, on the main road to Aita al-Shaab, without causing any damage. Another drone dropped two missiles on the village of Marwahin.
During the day, Israel bombed Tayr Harfa, Jebin, and Wadi Hamoul in Naqoura, as well as the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab, Alma al-Shaab, and Tallet Hamames. Reconnaissance aircraft also flew over the western sector.
The Israeli army also claimed to have targeted three armed Hezbollah cells in southern Lebanon on Saturday and bombed infrastructure belonging to the pro-Iranian party.
For its part, Hezbollah announced that it had bombed groups of Israeli soldiers in the Adasser forest, in the vicinity of the Ramim barracks and in the Beit Hillel region. It also claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the al-Ramtha site in the Shebaa farms.
Rocket fire from southern Lebanon also targeted the Zarit barracks in Israel, where alarm sirens sounded in the settlements on the country’s northern border. This was after the Israeli army intercepted a drone from southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah also announced the death of four of its fighters in a strike in Syria.
Escalation risks persist
Commenting on the situation in southern Lebanon, the Head of Mission and Force Commander of UNIFIL, Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz, said on Saturday that the risk of a major escalation in southern Lebanon “persists.” At the same time, he stressed that “containing the conflict in the areas close to the Blue Line is a sign that the parties concerned (Hezbollah and Israel) do not want an escalation,” he added in an interview with the Voice of Lebanon.
“However, there is always a risk of misjudgment, and UNIFIL strives to avoid any slippage,” added General Lázaro.
In this respect, he expressed the hope that “the parties to the conflict will be able to find common ground in this coming year to put an end to the exchange of fire and reach a political and diplomatic solution.”
In light of this, according to the Israeli daily newspaper Yediot Ahronot, US envoy Amos Hochstein is expected to arrive in Lebanon early in the New Year to facilitate an agreement on ending hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.
On another note, in response to a possible amendment to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, General Lázaro explained that “any change in this resolution would come from the UN Security Council.”
“Until then, UNIFIL will continue to fulfill its duties in a neutral manner under Resolution 1701,” he concluded.
On the same note, the Israeli army’s Arabic-speaking spokesman, Avichay Adraee, declared on Saturday that “80% of the missiles fired by Hezbollah towards Israel on Friday fell on Lebanese territory.”
He pointed out on his X account that Israel “continues to target Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon” in response to Hezbollah “holding the Lebanese hostage in solidarity and support with Hamas.”
Furthermore, he noted that the pro-Iranian party’s deployment in southern Lebanon “will no longer be as it was before October 7,” the date on which Hamas launched its attack on Israel.
In this context, the parish priest of Rmeish, Father Najib al-Amil, told “The Voice of Lebanon” that two missile launchers were found in an olive grove, in between houses on the outskirts of Rmeish.
