UNIFIL says Israel fired 113 projectiles on Lebanon Wednesday
U.N. peacekeepers continue to observe “daily violations of Lebanese airspace and military activities on the ground” and “yesterday’s 113 projectiles launched by IDF (Israeli army) are the highest recorded by UNIFIL since 21 June,” the U.N. force said on Thursday.
“While violence remains significantly lower than in previous months, the overall situation remains fragile. Peacekeepers continue monitoring and reporting developments to the Security Council, maintaining their operational tempo, and engaging with parties to help reduce tensions,” UNIFIL added.
“Commitment to Resolution 1701, dialogue and coordination remain essential to de-escalation and key to restoring full stability in south Lebanon,” it said.
The Israeli army launched strikes overnight into Thursday on Burj al-Shemali, Mansouri and Majdalzoun, wounding four people.
Artillery shelling also targeted the areas of Mansouri, Majdalzoun and Haddatha, the National News Agency said, while troops detonated houses and buildings in Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh.
The escalation came after two Israeli soldiers were killed in an explosion in southern Lebanon in the first Israeli deaths since the implementation of a shaky truce between Israel and Hezbollah in June.
The Israeli military said Thursday that four other soldiers were seriously wounded. The deaths had been reported by Israeli media a day earlier. An Israeli military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with the army's policy, said that "an explosion was detonated" when the soldiers entered a site in the village of Majdalzoun and that the nature of the explosive was under review.
There was no immediate statement from Hezbollah.
A strike Wednesday on Tebnine killed one person and wounded 12, after Israel issued a call for residents of the village of al-Mansouri to flee — the first such warning Israel has issued in Lebanon for weeks.
Source: Naharnet
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