A Lebanese woman has been killed and at least six people injured after Israeli strike hit the town of Arab Salim in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh district.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said those wounded in Thursday’s attacks included a child, a woman and two elderly people.
The state-run National News Agency, NNA, reported that the woman who was killed had been married for just 48 hours. Her home was also destroyed in the attack, according to the agency.
Lebanese security sources said at least 10 Israeli strikes were carried out across the wider Nabatieh area. NNA also reported artillery shelling around the outskirts of Rashaf, in the Bint Jbeil district.
The Israeli military said its strikes were aimed at Hezbollah positions and claimed the attacks were in response to an overnight assault on its soldiers in southern Lebanon.
According to the Israeli army, Hezbollah fighters launched two explosive drones towards Israeli troops operating near the Ali al-Taher ridge. Israel said there were no casualties among its forces. The military said it had targeted what it described as Hezbollah “weapon storage facilities”.
Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera correspondent Zeina Khodr said the strike on Arab Salim hit a residential area. She said the Israeli military described its operations as attacks on Hezbollah infrastructure carried out in retaliation for the alleged drone attack.
The Ali al-Taher ridge, which overlooks the strategic high ground near Nabatieh, remains a contested area, according to Khodr.
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She said Israel has been pressuring Hezbollah to leave the area, contributing to increased military activity in southern Lebanon.
Israel has intensified strikes on southern Lebanon in recent days. The escalation follows a wave of Israeli attacks on 15 August that Lebanese authorities said killed 11 people, including several children. Israel’s military said those strikes were also carried out in response to a Hezbollah attack.
Although the level of violence has fallen at times, Khodr said there were concerns that Israeli military operations could become broader and more intense. “There is growing concern that the [Israeli] army may broaden this offensive,” she reported.
Tensions between Israel and Lebanon have remained high amid the wider regional conflict that followed the outbreak of the war in Gaza in 2023.
According to the report, Hezbollah became directly involved in the conflict in support of Iran after the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran on 2 March.
Israel subsequently carried out extensive air strikes and a ground operation in Lebanon. Lebanese authorities say the fighting has killed more than 4,300 people.
The latest Israeli strike have also renewed debate in Beirut over a framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel in June.
The agreement envisages a phased Israeli withdrawal in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah.
The latest violence has raised fresh concerns over whether the agreement can reduce tensions and prevent further escalation along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Al Jazeera
