Did Israel Target Multiple Hezbollah and Hamas Locations in Lebanon, Including Its Third-Largest City?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Israel conducted airstrikes targeting Hezbollah and Hamas sites in Lebanon.
- Significant destruction reported in the coastal city of Sidon.
- The strikes included targeting weapons storage facilities and military infrastructure.
- The attacks occurred just before a Lebanese government meeting on disarming Hezbollah.
- The situation continues to raise concerns about regional stability.
Tel Aviv, Jan 6 (NationPress) Israel has executed a series of airstrikes on various sites associated with Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanon, affecting the nation’s third-largest city, according to reports from both Israeli and Lebanese sources.
Footage shared on social media platforms depicted extensive devastation, with a significant plume of smoke billowing over the coastal city of Sidon following an Israeli assault around 1 a.m. local time on Monday. The military actions persisted into the early hours of Tuesday.
According to Lebanon's state-operated National News Agency, the strike resulted in the destruction of a commercial structure located in Sidon's industrial zone. Israeli state broadcaster Kan TV reported that numerous individuals sustained injuries, but there were no immediate accounts of deaths.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement on Tuesday morning, confirming that their operations targeted Hezbollah and Hamas positions in various locations throughout Lebanon, marking the beginning of these strikes on Monday, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
"The strikes focused on multiple facilities for weapon storage and military infrastructure, both above ground and subterranean, which were utilized by Hezbollah to orchestrate attacks against IDF personnel and the State of Israel, as well as to restore its military strength," the military elaborated.
The IDF further indicated that the operations also struck Hamas's weapon production sites in southern Lebanon.
During the assaults on Monday night, the Israeli military targeted structures in four villages situated in southern Lebanon and near the eastern border. Lebanon's National News Agency reported that four homes were obliterated, and vehicles and shops suffered considerable damage, with an unexploded missile obstructing a roadway. A Lebanese security source noted that Israeli air forces executed approximately ten strikes across the targeted regions.
These attacks occurred just days prior to a scheduled Lebanese government meeting aimed at discussing its efforts to disarm Hezbollah in regions close to the Israeli border.
Despite a ceasefire brokered by the US and France that has been in place since November 27, 2024, the Israeli military has periodically conducted strikes in Lebanon, asserting that these operations are necessary to eliminate perceived Hezbollah "threats."