BEIRUT (AP) According to the Lebanese military, an Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center on Sunday killed one soldier and injured eighteen more.
Even while the military has mostly stayed out of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants, it was the most recent in a string of Israeli strikes that have killed over 40 Lebanese soldiers.
The Israeli military, which has said that earlier attacks on Lebanese forces were unintentional and that they are not the goal of its war against Hezbollah, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Najib Mikati, the interim prime minister of Lebanon, denounced it as an attack on cease-fire initiatives spearheaded by the United States and described it as a blunt, violent statement that rejected all attempts and continuing negotiations to put an end to the conflict.
According to a statement from his office, “Israel is once again writing in Lebanese blood a brazen rejection of the solution that is being discussed.”
A firefighter extinguishes a fire at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Associated Press/Hussein Malla photo
The attack took place on the seaside road between Tyre and Naqoura in southwest Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in fierce combat.
Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught from the Gaza Strip that sparked the war in Israel, Hezbollah started launching rockets, missiles, and drones into the country. The strikes have been presented by Hezbollah as a show of support for Hamas and the Palestinians. Iran backs both armed factions.
Since the rocket fire started, Israel has undertaken retaliatory bombings. In September, the low-level confrontation escalated into a full-scale war when Israel murdered Hassan Nasrallah, the senior leader of Hezbollah, and several of his top commanders in waves of airstrikes that covered a wide portion of Lebanon.
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, Israeli airstrikes on central Beirut early Saturday killed at least 20 people and injured 66 more. Hezbollah has persisted in launching frequent shelling attacks into Israel, causing people to flee for safety and sometimes resulting in fatalities or serious injuries.
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, over 3,500 people have died as a result of Israeli attacks. Approximately 1.2 million people, or 25% of Lebanon’s population, have been displaced by the conflict.
Following Israel’s ground invasion in early October, over 90 Israeli soldiers and close to 50 civilians have been killed in battle and by shelling in northern Israel. Approximately 60,000 Israelis have been forced to leave the northern part of the country.
On Sunday, Hezbollah launched a flurry of missiles into central and northern Israel, some of which were intercepted.
In the central city of Petah Tikva, Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue agency reported that it was providing medical attention to two individuals: a 70-year-old woman who had inhaled smoke from a burning car and a 23-year-old guy who had been slightly injured in a blast. Two women in their 50s who were injured in northern Israel were also treated, according to the first responders.
It was unclear if the damage and injuries came from the interceptors or the rockets.
U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein returned to the area last week, continuing the Biden administration’s months-long efforts to mediate a cease-fire.
According to the U.N. Security Council resolution that put an end to the 2006 war, the emerging deal would allow Israeli troops and Hezbollah terrorists to leave southern Lebanon below the Litani River. U.N. peacekeepers would accompany Lebanese troops on patrol in the region.
Although Lebanon’s army is seen as a national institution and represents the country’s religious plurality, it lacks the military might to stop Israel’s invasion or enforce its will on Hezbollah.
___
Contributing from Tel Aviv, Israel, was reporter Tia Goldenberg of the Associated Press.
___
Visit this link to view other AP war coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
The Associated Press, 2024. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. It is prohibited to publish, broadcast, rewrite, or redistribute this content without authorization.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!