At least 31 people were killed and 40 others injured in heavy Israeli airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, authorities said on Wednesday, after Israel warned it was intensifying operations despite a ceasefire formally remaining in place.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said the casualties resulted from strikes carried out on Tuesday.
Lebanese officials said Israel also conducted operations elsewhere in the country, including three strikes near the Qaraoun reservoir south-east of the capital Beirut.
The Litani River Authority warned of “catastrophic risks for residents, infrastructure and vital facilities downstream.” Qaraoun is Lebanon’s largest reservoir, formed by a dam on the Litani river, and plays a key role in supplying water and electricity in the region.
Sources: Heavy fighting near Litani River
Later on Wednesday morning, sources within the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia reported that the group was engaged in heavy fighting with Israeli ground forces north of the Litani River.
Militia fighters reportedly encountered Israeli troops near the so-called ‘Yellow Line.' The Israeli army has expanded its operations beyond this line, which runs six to 10 kilometres from the Israeli border.
The Israeli military announced late Tuesday an expansion of its ground mission in the south of the neighbouring country. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said hours earlier the military would be intensifying its operations.
The Israeli military said on Wednesday morning that it had killed a Hezbollah member in southern Lebanon who had been attempting to retrieve a drone.
Air raid sirens also sounded overnight in northern Israel following incoming fire from Lebanon. The projectile landed in an open area, according to the Israeli military.
The ceasefire declared between Israel and Lebanon declared in April has since been extended twice. In practice, however, hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia have continued on a nearly daily basis.
Hezbollah is not a party to the ceasefire and has refused to negotiate with Israel. It attacked the Jewish state shortly after the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, resulting in hefty Israeli retaliation.
With Netanyahu announcing intensified strikes and an expansion of ground operations, fears are growing in Lebanon that Israeli troops could again occupy parts of the country for an extended period, as they did in the 1980s and 1990s.
