Gradual increase in the pace of escalation took center stage in southern Lebanon on Saturday, amid Israeli threats to invade border areas.
An Israeli drone strike targeted a motorcycle near a gas station between Aïtaroun and Blida on Saturday. Two people were killed, including one of the station’s owners.
In the morning, a large fire broke out in the Lebanese army and UNIFIL Nepalese battalion positions, opposite the Manara settlement, on the northeast outskirts of Mays al-Jabal along the Blue Line, due to Israeli bombardment.
As the fire widely spread, mines were exploding before the Lebanese Civil Defense, while UNIFIL and Islamic Scouts (pro-Hezbollah) worked to bring it under control.
The Israeli army declared attacking multiple sources of rocket fire from southern Lebanon. Earlier, it stated that “a number of rockets were fired from Lebanon on Zar’it-Western Galilee, without causing any casualties.”
Bayt Lif, Marj, Hula and Wadi Dallafa were targets for heavy Israeli artillery, amid intense machine gun fire at the houses and neighborhoods of Hula.
Israeli spy planes flew above the Beqaa valley, while warplanes carried out occasional mock raids above Shebaa farms and the Arkoub region.
For their part, Hezbollah announced in a statement “targeting a group of moving Israeli soldiers at Al-Raheb position with artillery shells at 1:10 AM.”
The pro-Iranian formation also declared “launching a drone aerial attack on a new artillery position, in Senaim-Shebaa farms, targeting positions and settlements of Israeli officers and achieving accurate hits.” In addition, Hezbollah confirmed that its artillery bombed the Zar’it barracks.
Yesterday, the Israeli army had set fires on the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab with incendiary bombs, and sprayed the area with flammable materials.
Israeli media had reported that Hezbollah tried to strike one of the three main air bases in Israel, “Ramat David” in southern Haifa, with an explosive drone.
Israel also targeted a joint training center for the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL in Ras al-Naqoura, with two drone strikes.
