Israel expanded its targets in its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon on Monday, the Lebanese Red Cross said, killing at least 18 people in its first attack on the Christian-majority town of Atou in the north.
So far the main focus of Israel’s military operations in Lebanon has been on the south, the eastern Bekaa Valley and the suburbs of Beirut.
Joseph Trade, mayor of Etou, told Reuters that the strike in the northern region affected a house that was rented to displaced families. In addition to the deaths, four people were also injured, the Red Cross said.
Israel on Monday ordered residents of 25 villages to evacuate areas north of the Awali River, which flows through southern Lebanon, as it stepped up its attacks in the area.
The Israeli strike killed Mohammed Kamel Naim, commander of an anti-tank missile unit of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon, the army said.
Hezbollah had no immediate comment.
The operation comes amid high tensions between Israel and the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, with Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen on Monday reiterating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for UN troops to leave.
Israel and the United Nations are blaming peacekeepers in southern Lebanon as Israel sends troops to the area in an effort to eliminate Iran-backed Hezbollah and its military infrastructure while fighting Hamas in Gaza.
The United Nations said Israeli tanks had entered its base on Sunday, the latest accusation of Israeli violations against the peacekeeping force, which has been condemned by Hezbollah and Israel’s allies.
Israel disputed the UN account and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the peacekeepers to withdraw, saying they were providing “human shields” for Hezbollah during the escalation of hostilities.
Hezbollah denies that it uses the proximity of peacekeepers for protection.
The Middle East, meanwhile, is on high alert for Israel to retaliate against Iran for long-range missiles launched on October 1 in response to Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.
The Pentagon said on Sunday it would send US troops to Israel along with an advanced US anti-missile system, as Israel considers its expected retaliation against Iran.
The Israeli military took foreign journalists to southern Lebanon on Sunday and showed them Hezbollah tunnel shafts less than 200 meters (650 feet) from UNIFIL positions, as well as weapons caches found by soldiers.
Brigadier General Yiftach Norkin said the tunnels were constructed a few years ago.
“We are actually standing on a Hezbollah military base very close to the United Nations,” Norkin said, pointing to a trap door in a shaft in an area surrounded by brush and overlooked by a United Nations observation post.
Since announcing its ground operation near the border, the Israeli military says it has destroyed dozens of Hezbollah tunnel shafts, rocket launchers and command posts.
Colonel Oliver Rafowicz said, “We found a large quantity of weapons several days ago that were originally coming from Iran and Russia. Brand new.” “They were ready to attack us and launch a major offensive in the north of Israel,” Rafowicz said, showing crates of weapons to journalists.
Reuters could not immediately confirm these claims.
extensive tunnel network
Both the group and Israel say Hezbollah has an extensive tunnel network in southern Lebanon. Israel estimates they extend for hundreds of kilometers. A Hezbollah field commander told Reuters last week that the tunnels “are the foundation of the fight.” Hezbollah had no immediate comment.
UNIFIL stated that previous Israeli attacks on watchtowers, cameras, communications equipment and lighting had limited its monitoring capabilities. UN sources say they fear it will be impossible to monitor any violations of international law in the conflict.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that EU member states were too late to condemn Israeli attacks on UNIFIL troops in Lebanon, calling the attacks “completely unacceptable”.
EU countries led by Italy, France and Spain have thousands of troops in a 10,000-strong peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, which has said it has come under repeated attack by Israeli forces in recent days.
On Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged EU members to respond to a request from Madrid and Ireland to suspend the bloc’s free trade agreement with Israel over attacks in Lebanon and Gaza.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah resumed a year ago when the operator group began firing rockets at Israeli targets in support of Hamas at the start of the Gaza war and has escalated sharply in recent weeks.
Israel says its operation in Lebanon is aimed at ensuring the return of thousands of its residents displaced from their homes in northern Israel.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)