Israel launched a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, targeting what its military said were Hezbollah facilities, only hours after a deadly drone strike escalated a tense and volatile week along the border.
According to The Associated Press, the latest strikes came after Israel warned residents in several southern villages to leave areas it identified as Hezbollah infrastructure.
More than an hour after the announcement, explosions were reported in Shehour and Deir Kifa. Lebanese officials said there were no immediate details on casualties.
The escalation followed an airstrike earlier Wednesday on a car in the village of Tiri that killed one person and wounded 11 others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry and state media.
Among the injured were students who happened to be riding on a nearby school bus.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that the bus was passing close to the targeted car at the moment of the strike. The blast wounded the driver and several students.
Tensions were already high following a deadly Israeli strike Tuesday night inside the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp. That attack killed 13 people, marking the deadliest Israeli action since a ceasefire took hold a year ago in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
On Wednesday, life in Ein el-Hilweh appeared outwardly normal, though Lebanese authorities barred journalists from entering the camp. At the site of the explosion, paramedics were seen searching for remains near a blood-stained wall, while charred vehicles and shattered debris covered the surrounding area.
The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas training compound in the camp, claiming it was being used to prepare an attack. “The Israeli army will continue to act against Hamas wherever it operates,” the military said.
Hamas condemned the strike and denied using the sports playground as a training site.
The violence comes amid growing pressure from the United States for Lebanon to accelerate efforts to disarm Hezbollah. Washington canceled a planned visit by Lebanese army commander Gen. Rudolph Haikal this week after expressing frustration over an army statement blaming Israel for destabilizing the south, according to a senior Lebanese officer.
Lebanon’s government has said it intends to disarm Hezbollah, as it has begun doing with Palestinian factions in the country’s refugee camps. But Hezbollah has rejected the plan, saying it will not disarm while Israel occupies strategic border hills and continues near-daily strikes.
The latest round of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel and Hezbollah launched rockets in solidarity. Two months ago, Israel began a sweeping campaign in Lebanon, including a ground invasion that officials say significantly weakened Hezbollah.
The war has taken a heavy toll. More than 4,000 people in Lebanon have been killed, including hundreds of civilians, and the World Bank estimates the destruction at $11 billion. In Israel, 127 people have died, including 80 soldiers.
