Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon resulted in the death of at least seven individuals and left others wounded on Saturday. This escalation unfolded alongside the Israeli military's demolition of parts of a Catholic convent located in the border village of Yaroun. The actions come amid ongoing hostilities between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah, which have persisted despite a ceasefire that was established on April 17.
On Saturday, Israel's military issued a warning for residents of nine southern villages, advising them to evacuate ahead of further military actions. In Yaroun, Israeli forces employed bulldozers to dismantle sections of the convent, which had been vacant due to the ongoing conflict. Sister Gladys Sabbagh, the superior general of the Basilian Salvatorian Sisters, reported that the convent included a school that had not operated since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war and a clinic that had recently relocated to the nearby village of Rmeich.
According to Sabbagh, the convent was a small compound home to only two nuns, who had departed due to the violence. With residents of Yaroun now displaced, additional information regarding the convent's status was unavailable.
The Israeli military contended that they were targeting Hezbollah's infrastructure within Yaroun and claimed that while a house without religious symbols was damaged, further harm was averted once the military realized its association with a church. It justifies its operations by alleging that Hezbollah had previously utilized the area for firing rockets into Israel.
Contrarily, the Catholic Church in Lebanon disputed these allegations, asserting that the convent was not employed for military purposes. Rev. Abdo Abou Kassm, the director of the Catholic Center for Information, stated, "We are against all practices against places of worship and churches. These are places to spread peace, love, and education; these are not military bases."
This demolition incident followed the emergence of distressing images depicting an Israeli soldier destroying a statue of Jesus on the cross in Debel, southern Lebanon, which ignited international outrage.
Amid these developments, airstrikes and Hezbollah counterattacks continued throughout southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that an airstrike on a vehicle in the village of Kfar Dajal led to the deaths of two individuals, while another airstrike on a residence in Lwaizeh claimed three lives. Two additional fatalities occurred in Shoukin due to another strike. The Israeli military reported carrying out approximately 50 airstrikes over the previous 24 hours targeting Hezbollah's infrastructure and personnel.
Hezbollah responded by deploying a drone against Israeli troops stationed inside a house in the coastal village of Bayed. Over recent weeks, the Israeli army has been engaged in demolishing neighborhoods in areas near the Lebanese-Israeli border, claiming these buildings were utilized as outposts by Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group.
The Israeli military also released footage showing the destruction of Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. This video, shared on their official website, displayed an Israeli flag amidst the debris of a soccer stadium in Bint Jbeil, which the military stated had been destroyed after being discovered to be booby-trapped.
The current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah ignited on March 2, following Hezbollah's missile attacks on northern Israel, just two days after the United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran, Hezbollah's main ally. Since that time, Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, resulting in the capture of numerous towns and villages along the border.
Throughout this period, Lebanon and Israel have engaged in their first direct negotiations in over thirty years. The two nations have been in a state of war since Israel's establishment in 1948. A ceasefire declared in Washington began on April 17 and was subsequently extended for three weeks. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, over the course of the war, which has now lasted two months, 2,659 individuals have been killed and 8,183 others injured.
