BEIRUT: An Israeli combat drone attacked a motorcycle in the border town of Mays Al-Jabal on Wednesday, killing the driver, a Hezbollah member, and wounding another.
Following the attack, hostilities between the Israeli army and Hezbollah intensified.
Counterattacks continued throughout the night in the border region, which locals described as the most intense operations since the southern front was mobilized about a year ago.
The escalation coincided with the arrival of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell Fontelles, in Beirut.
The situation at the border is likely to be at the top of his agenda at his meetings with Lebanese politicians.
At dawn, Israeli warplanes carried out more than 15 airstrikes on the forest areas and orchards between the outskirts of the towns of Zibqin and Qlaileh, creating a belt of fire.
Video footage captured the screams of children in homes and the prayers of the elderly amid deafening explosions nearby.
Israeli warplanes also carried out attacks on the outskirts of the towns of Yater and Rashaya Al-Fakhar, the orchards and valleys near the towns of Qlaileh, Zibqin, Al-Ḥaniyya, Majdal Zoun and Tayr Harfa, and the outskirts of the towns of Deir Seryan and Zawtar Al-Charkieh. The warplanes also carried out an attack on Naqoura.
Two Israeli drones exploded in the park of the village of Maroun Al-Ras, causing damage to the facility.
The Israeli army spokesman announced that it had “attacked about 30 Hezbollah rocket launchers and military installations in four different areas in southern Lebanon that posed a threat to the citizens of Israel.” Its forces also attacked the Dhayra area in southern Lebanon with artillery shells.
The rocket attacks raised questions about why Israel has been shelling the valleys daily for about two weeks.
Political analyst Ali Amin told Arab News: “Despite the challenges the Israeli army faces in the conflict with Hezbollah, it seems to be preparing for a prolonged war. It (the Israeli army) has previously announced the mobilization of the Mountain Brigade and plans to separate the eastern and western (mountain) ranges from southern Lebanon.”
Al-Amin, a resident of the border area, said: “The forest areas that have been bombed for two weeks are known to be closed to the general population and house Hezbollah military bases. It is almost impossible to move around there.”
“After cutting off technological communication between the party's (Hezbollah) members and its leadership, Israel is actively working to fragment the southern region and place it under constant surveillance.”
He said the increased shelling of forests and valleys and the lack of protection for civilians during attacks on Hezbollah were signs of an increased risk.
This underlines, he added, that one should not assume that Israel would refrain from attacking civilians during its bombing of the south.
“This escalation could represent a new phase in the war, which is soon approaching its first anniversary.”
On August 25, Israel attacked forested areas and valleys in the regions of Iqlim Al-Tuffah, Kunin, Zawtar, Rachaf, Deir Siriane, Chamaa, Rihan, Kfar Melki, Beit Yahoun, Ain Qana, Zebqin, Hadatha and other villages, coinciding with Hezbollah's response to the assassination of its military leader Fuad Shukr.
At the time, it was claimed that it had “thwarted Hezbollah's retaliatory attacks by bombing 6,000 rocket launchers in southern Lebanon.”
On August 30, similar Israeli attacks were recorded in Majdal Zun, Al-Jabeen, Sheheen, Alma Al-Shaab, Hamoul, Wadi Hassan and Naqoura.
On September 4, Israeli aircraft carried out 14 attacks on launch pads in Al-Jabeen, Zawtar El-Charkieh and Ramya.
On September 6 and 7, Israeli warplanes carried out more than 20 attacks on forest areas in Srifa, Froun, Al-Ghandouriya, Yater, Qabrikha and Ainata.
Israeli army radio confirmed on Wednesday that “the military attacked Hezbollah positions and the air force destroyed about 25 rocket launch sites.”
The Hezbollah member killed is Hani Ezzeddine, born in 2001, from the city of Deir Qanoun En Nahr in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah attacked “a concentration of Israeli soldiers near the Al-Raheb compound with rocket weapons” as well as “the Rweizat Al-Qarn compound and the Zabdine barracks in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms.” It confirmed that there were casualties.
Hezbollah said it had used appropriate weapons to hit a “bunker at the Al-Matala site where enemy soldiers were stationed.”
Israeli military operations penetrated deep into the southern region and the western Bekaa Valley on Tuesday, reaching more than 30 kilometers from the border to some of the targeted towns.
