Friday was an exceptionally deadly day in southern Lebanon, with eight people killed in Israeli strikes, according to the Ministry of Health. The raids targeted Maaraka in the Tyre district, Aita al-Jabal, and Tayr Harfa.
In the evening, an Israeli drone targeted a car on the Hamadiya road at the junction of Maaraka in the Tyre district, “killing one person,” according to a preliminary toll by the Emergency Operations Center linked to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
مسيرة إسرائيلية تستهدف سيارة في محيط بلدة معركة جنوبي #لبنان pic.twitter.com/HsjLUetSjL
— صوت كل لبنان vdlnews 93.3 (@sawtkellebnen) August 23, 2024
An air strike also targeted the western outskirts of Al-Tiri, but no casualties were reported.
In addition, Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier twice at low altitude over the regions of Jezzine and Saida.
In the late morning, a car in Aita al-Jabal was targeted by a drone near a house. The Emergency Operations Center of the Ministry of Health reported two deaths, including a seven-year-old child. Two other individuals were subsequently killed, one in an Israeli raid on Aitaroun and the other in an air strike on Mays al-Jabal.
The Israeli Army had carried out a first strike in the morning, around 8:00 AM, on Tayr Harfa, killing three people, including two Hezbollah members.
In addition, Israeli bombardments targeted Beit Lif, Ramya, Taloussa, Hadatha, Al-Tiri, the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab in the central sector, Kfar Kila, Kfarchouba, Kfar Hamam, Rachaya al-Foukhar, Yaroun, and Aita al-Shaab.
At dawn, Israeli artillery targeted the vicinity of Naqoura and Jabal al-Labbouneh, triggering alarm sirens at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura and other multinational force positions.
Hezbollah’s Response
For its part, Hezbollah claimed a salvo of fires on Friday at Israeli positions in Zar’it, Malkiya, Hadab Yaron, Khirbet Ma’ar, Rouwaisat al-Alam, and Sammaqa in the Kfarchouba hills.
They also claimed to have targeted “espionage equipment” of the headquarters of the aerial control unit and the operations department of the Meron base, “leading to its destruction,” as well as that of Abad and Metula.
Hezbollah also claimed to have targeted gatherings of soldiers in the Ramim barracks, causing casualties, and near Al-Khazan hill, as well as the headquarters of the northern army corps at the Ain Zeitim base.
In addition, Hezbollah announced the deaths of seven of its fighters: Aqeel Qassem Gharib, Hassan Wissam Harkous, Qassem Saleh Harkous, Hussein Mohammad Chaker, Mohammad Mahmoud Najm, Sa’ed Mahmoud Diab, and Ali Akram al-Haq.
Between 90 and 100 Rockets Fired by Hezbollah Targeting Safed and Meron
According to Israeli media reports on Friday evening, “between 90 and 100 rockets were fired today from Lebanon towards northern Israel.” They specified that some “were intercepted above Mount Meron in Upper Galilee, where fires broke out.”
The Israeli Army radio reported that “about 20 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards several colonies near the city of Safed, where fires broke out.”
Avichay Adraee: We Killed Hezbollah’s Missile Unit Saboteur in Tyre
On Friday evening, the Arabic-speaking spokesperson of the Israeli Army, Avichay Adraee, wrote on his Twitter account that “the Israel Defense Forces continues to eliminate Hezbollah’s rocket unit terrorists, targeting the rocket launcher that was used to bombard Tzfat (Safed).”
Adraee also reported a “strike on Tyre that killed a Hezbollah commander, Said Mahmoud Diab.”
#عاجل 🟡 جيش الدفاع يواصل تصفية مخربين من الوحدة الصاروخية في حزب الله؛ استهداف المنصة الصاروخية التي تم استخدامها في إطلاق القذائف نحو منطقة تسفات (صفد)
🟡أغارت طائرة لسلاح الجو في منطقة صور وقضت على المخرب سعيد محمود ذياب من الوحدة الصاروخية لحزب الله.
🟡كما أغارت طائرات… pic.twitter.com/dt5vJus3hA
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) August 23, 2024
