Israel stages heavy strikes on south Lebanon as Hezbollah shells Israeli posts
Israeli warplanes carried out dozens of airstrikes on areas across south Lebanon and West Bekaa on Saturday, as Hezbollah rockets targeted north Israel and reached Safad.
Hezbollah said it fired salvos of Katyusha rockets at five Israeli military positions in northern Israel and another in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, as the Israeli army said it was striking “Hezbollah targets” in south Lebanon.
Hezbollah said its attacks were in response to Israeli attacks "on steadfast southern villages and civilian houses."
TV networks said the Israeli airstrikes were the heaviest since the eruption of clashes on October 8.
Israel says it has started a new phase in the war with the aim of returning its displaced residents to their homes in northern Israel.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members exploded across Lebanon, killing 37 people and wounding around 3,000 others in unprecedented mass attacks blamed on Israel.
On Thursday, Israel carried out two waves of heavy airstrikes on south Lebanon and a mock raid over Beirut and its suburbs.
On Friday, Israeli warplanes bombed a building in Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing at least 37 people and wounding dozens while many more are still missing. Hezbollah said two of its commanders and 14 fighters of the elite Radwan unit were killed in that strike, as caretaker Health Minister Firas Abiad said the dead included three children and seven women.
