Israel pounds eastern and southern Lebanon as truce talks continue

Israeli aerial raids person killed dozens of group successful nan Baalbek region successful eastbound Lebanon, a section charismatic said, arsenic a United States mediator sought to beforehand ceasefire talks successful Israel.

At slightest 47 group were killed and 22 others wounded successful nan attacks, Bachir Khodr, politician of Lebanon’s Baalbek-Hermel province, said successful a station connected X connected Thursday. Rescue operations were nether way, he added.

Elsewhere successful Lebanon, Beirut shook arsenic Israeli aerial strikes deed nan confederate suburbs astir a twelve times, sending up clouds of debris successful immoderate of nan astir aggravated aerial strikes yet.

The Israeli service said it carried retired strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure and that it had mitigated civilian harm done beforehand warnings and different steps.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry besides said that nan 3 group were killed successful an Israeli bombing of nan municipality of al-Shaitiyah, adjacent nan metropolis of Tyre successful confederate Lebanon.

Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said nan Israeli attacks successful confederate Lebanon coincide pinch a push by adjacent Israeli crushed forces seeking to beforehand connected a strategical elevation known arsenic al-Bayyaada.

“The aerial attacks are astir disrupting proviso lines truthful that Hezbollah cannot reenforce its troops successful that area,” she said.

“What Israel is trying to do is return power of nan coastal roadworthy that goes from nan separator to al-Bayyaada. From al-Bayyaada, it intends to return power of nan surrounding areas. At that point, they would person nan confederate metropolis of Tyre successful sight,” she said.

“Israeli forces are already utilizing artillery successful this area, which intends their artillery batteries are wrong Lebanon. So, we are really seeing a awesome conflict for power successful this area of confederate Lebanon,” Khodr said.

Israel has been pounding confederate and eastbound Lebanon and Beirut’s confederate suburbs since precocious September, erstwhile nan subject escalated its conflict pinch nan Lebanese equipped group Hezbollah aft months of exchanging cross-border fire.

The fighting began successful October 2023, a time aft Israel launched its ongoing battle connected Gaza, erstwhile Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel successful what it said was an enactment of solidarity pinch Palestinians successful Gaza.

At slightest 3,583 group person been killed and 15,244 wounded successful Israeli attacks connected Lebanon since October 2023, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

Hezbollah, which has suffered awesome blows since Israel escalated its attacks connected Lebanon, has kept up rocket occurrence into Israel, attacking Tel Aviv this week. Its fighters are besides battling Israeli troops connected nan crushed successful nan south.

The Iran-aligned equipped group’s attacks person killed much than 100 group successful bluish Israel and nan Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, including much than 70 soldiers, according to Israel.

On Thursday successful Israel, a 30-year-old man was killed erstwhile shrapnel from a rocket struck a playground successful nan bluish municipality of Nahariya, Israel’s MDA aesculapian work said.

“The Israeli authorities is not safeguarding my security, my residents aliases nan residents of nan northbound (of Israel). It is not imaginable to unrecorded successful specified a business for illustration this,” Nahariya Mayor Ronen Marelly told nationalist broadcaster Kan.

The Israeli subject said astir 10 rockets were besides launched from Lebanon towards Nahariya. “Most of nan projectiles were intercepted and fallen projectiles were identified,” nan subject said successful a statement. Channel 12 said 3 rockets deed nan coastal town.

Hezbollah’s Al-Manar tv station, citing its correspondent, confirmed rocket occurrence towards Nahariya and nan surrounding area.

US negotiated push

US mediator Amos Hochstein met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz successful Israel connected Thursday, seeking a region successful nan fighting, days aft he said a ceasefire was “within our grasp” during a sojourn to Lebanon.

Speaking earlier he near Beirut, Hochstein said he was going to Israel to effort to adjacent an statement if possible.

Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said Lebanese officials who met Hochstein had expressed “cautious optimism” astatine nan imaginable of a truce agreement.

“The emotion present is that Lebanon has made concessions. It is putting connected nan array nan afloat implementation of UN Resolution 1701 – which intends Hezbollah would propulsion backmost from nan separator – and it is apparently agreeing to a US domiciled successful enforcing that,” Khodr said.

“What is not mentioned successful nan draught ceasefire connection is nan disarmament of Hezbollah. Yesterday, we heard nan Israeli overseas curate opportunity that immoderate statement should springiness Israel nan correct to make judge Hezbollah does not person weapons from Iran done Syria. So location are still awesome sticking points,” she added.

Source

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Al Jazeera and news agencies