“The Israeli Air Force on Tuesday night carried out a series of strikes on targets in southern and eastern Lebanon, including destroying a building in the country’s third largest city, Sidon. The attack came days before the Lebanese military command’s scheduled report to the government on progress in disarming Hezbollah militants.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: Associated Press
Details: It is reported that around 1:00 a.m. on January 6, Israeli aircraft leveled a three-story commercial building in the coastal city of Sidon.
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Literally: “According to an AP photojournalist on the scene, the structure was located in an area where workshops and auto repair shops are located and was empty at the time of the impact. Rescuers hospitalized at least one person and continued to search for other possible victims.”
Details: On Monday, the IDF also attacked several facilities in southern and eastern Lebanon, claiming the presence of Hezbollah and Hamas infrastructure there. The strikes were preceded by a warning from the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesman, Avihai Adrei, on the X social network, urging residents to evacuate two villages in the eastern Bekaa Valley and two settlements in the country’s south.
The State News Agency of Lebanon reported that in the village of Manara, a house belonging to Sharhabil al-Sayed, the military commander of Hamas, who was eliminated by an Israeli strike in May 2024, was targeted. Thanks to the warning, the areas were evacuated in advance, so there were no reports of casualties from these particular attacks.
At the same time, the Ministry of Health of Lebanon announced that two people were wounded as a result of a drone strike on a car in the southern village of Braike. The Israeli military confirmed the attack, saying it targeted two members of Hezbollah.
The shelling took place against the background of preparations for an important meeting of the Lebanese government, which is scheduled for January 8. It is expected that the commander of the army, General Rudolph Haikal, will report on the progress of the mission to disarm Hezbollah in the border areas.
Last year, the Lebanese Armed Forces began the process of withdrawing weapons from Palestinian groups, and the government declared its intention to completely clear the territory south of the Litani River from the presence of Hezbollah by the end of 2025.
Prehistory:
- The process of disarming Hezbollah and other groups by the Lebanese government was the result of a 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended in November 2024.
- The conflict began on October 8, 2023, when Lebanese militants began shelling Israel in solidarity with the Hamas group. In response, Israel launched a large-scale air campaign and ground invasion in September 2024, which significantly weakened Hezbollah’s capabilities and led to the elimination of most of its leadership.
- Despite a US-brokered truce, Israel continues to carry out regular airstrikes, mostly targeting Hezbollah members. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, after the official end of the active phase of the war, these strikes resulted in the death of at least 127 civilians.