Israel kills one in south Lebanon as Bekaa Valley still reels from war

Lebanon’s Health Ministry says a rocket deed a car successful the confederate municipality of Burj Rahal successful Tyre district, the latest successful a bid of attacks contempt ceasefire.

Beirut, Lebanon – An Israeli aerial onslaught connected confederate Lebanon has killed 1 idiosyncratic and wounded another, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health says, arsenic Israel ramps up its cross-border attacks successful defiance of a ceasefire.

The ministry said successful a connection connected Wednesday that an “Israeli force raid” struck a car successful the municipality of Burj Rahal successful the confederate territory of Tyre.

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“The onslaught resulted successful the martyrdom of 1 national and the wounded of another,” the connection read, without identifying the dead.

Lebanon’s National News Agency said the onslaught happened adjacent a school, triggering panic among students and prompting parents to unreserved to cod their children amid scenes of fearfulness and chaos.

Ceasefire nether strain

The Israeli subject did not instantly remark connected the strike, which was the latest successful a series of its attacks crossed confederate Lebanon, contempt a ceasefire signed connected November 27, 2024.

Israeli forces stay deployed successful astatine slightest 5 areas of Lebanon’s southbound arsenic they transportation retired near-daily aerial raids that Israel says people Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure.

On Monday, 2 radical were killed and 7 wounded successful separate attacks successful confederate Lebanon. A time earlier, Israeli raids successful Nabatieh killed 4 people, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

Inside Lebanon, the continued bombardment has heightened fears of a renewed war, arsenic Israeli and United States officials property the Lebanese authorities to unit Hezbollah to disarm.

Israeli subject quality has claimed successful caller days that Hezbollah is attempting to rebuild its subject capabilities. A Hezbollah spokesperson denied reports of expanded subject enactment oregon attempts to reconstruct its elite units.

“Israel fabricates stories and claims to warrant its attacks,” the spokesperson told Lebanon’s L’Orient Today paper connected Monday.

Hezbollah was severely weakened aft the Israeli escalation successful September 2024, which killed its longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Since the November ceasefire, the radical has responded to Israeli attacks lone once.

Hezbollah officials person repeatedly said the radical volition not disarm, saying that relinquishing its weapons would permission confederate Lebanon exposed to an Israeli invasion.

Baalbek inactive nether fire

Nearly a twelvemonth aft Israel’s wide-scale bombing run crossed Lebanon, residents successful the eastbound Bekaa Valley accidental they are inactive surviving nether persistent Israeli threats.

In Baalbek, a metropolis known for its Roman ruins and considered portion of Hezbollah’s heartland, Israeli strikes proceed to people what the Israeli subject describes arsenic Hezbollah’s “logistical and operational base”.

But galore civilians besides stay nether changeless bombardment.

“What is happening present isn’t abbreviated of a war. It is simply a war,” Abu Ali, a nonmigratory of Baalbek, told Al Jazeera. “There is truthful overmuch speech astir targeting Baalbek, and this is scaring radical away,” added different resident, Ali Chokair.

Much of the Bekaa portion remains scarred by past year’s Israeli strikes, leaving 1 of Lebanon’s poorest areas struggling to rebuild.

Lebanon nether unit to negotiate

Israeli and US officials are pressing for Hezbollah’s disarmament, with US ambassador Tom Barrack urging the equipped radical to statesman a dialog with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned connected Sunday that the service would “act arsenic necessary” if Lebanon failed to guarantee Hezbollah handed implicit its weapons.

“We expect the Lebanese authorities to fulfil its committedness – to disarm Hezbollah – but it is wide we volition workout our close of self-defence nether the presumption of the ceasefire,” helium said.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said the state has “no prime but to negotiate” with Israel to avoid a wider conflict. But galore successful Baalbek and confederate Lebanon reason immoderate talks that could pb to Hezbollah’s disarmament,

Hussein Osman, who runs a edifice successful Baalbek, refused to fly erstwhile the Israeli service ordered residents to permission during past year’s war. Like galore Hezbollah supporters, helium questions Lebanon’s determination to negociate with Israel, which is attacking the portion astir each day.

“We would enactment immoderate dialog that works for the payment of the resistance,” helium said. “But immoderate dialog that involves disarming the absorption is not accepted … These weapons support america and allowed america to enactment successful our homes.”