Israeli strikes kill nine in southern Lebanon as conflict intensifies
Beirut — Israeli airstrikes killed at least nine people in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, as Israel escalated its military campaign against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah amid a widening regional conflict.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency, citing the health ministry, said four people were killed in a strike on the town of Adloun, while two others died in an airstrike on an apartment in the Mieh Mieh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon that also wounded four people.
Earlier, three people were reported killed and 18 wounded in a separate strike on the town of Habboush.There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the reported strikes. However, Israel had earlier warned of imminent attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah that has faced repeated bombardment.
The latest strikes come as Israel intensifies operations against Hezbollah, which began launching rockets on March 2, drawing Lebanon deeper into a broader regional war triggered by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a statement that forces were targeting Hezbollah’s “military infrastructure” across Beirut’s southern suburbs “with increasing force,” urging civilians to evacuate immediately for their safety.
Lebanese authorities say the Israeli campaign has killed at least 1,072 people and displaced more than one million since the escalation began, underscoring the humanitarian toll of the conflict.Israel has indicated it may seek to establish control over territory up to the Litani River, approximately 30 km from the border, reviving concerns of a prolonged ground presence in southern Lebanon.
Israel previously occupied the region for nearly two decades until 2000.Cross-border impactIn northern Israel, ongoing rocket fire from Lebanon has disrupted civilian life, with air raid sirens sending residents into shelters.
Israeli authorities reported that a woman was killed on Tuesday in one such attack.The exchange of strikes highlights the intensifying cross-border hostilities, with no immediate signs of de-escalation.
