Israel targets area near Lebanon’s largest dam as Netanyahu vows to ‘increase intensity’ of strikes

He said Israel was attempting to fortify an area of southern Lebanon under its control. He also said it is necessary to protect residents of its northern border towns from Hezbollah’s rocket and drone attacks.

Mapping the attack zone

One of the sites attacked by Israel was the eastern village of Mashghara. According to a Lebanese state news agency, the strike killed 12 people, including many belonging to the same family.

Israel also launched attacks in eastern Lebanon, especially in an area near the Qaraoun Dam- the largest dam in the country- along the Litani River. Reports from the river authorities have confirmed that there has been no damage to the dam directly as of yet.

Hezbollah has not been silent either. It said it launched artillery, drone, and rocket attacks on Israeli troops around the river in the Nabatiyeh villages of Yohmor al-Shaqif and Zawtar al-Sharqieh. The militant group mobilizing along the river repelled the attacks, as reported by Hezbollah’s news channel Al Manar TV.

A lingering hope for agreement

The Lebanese government continues to hold hope for direct diplomatic talks with Israel, a hope that Hezbollah firmly opposes. Hezbollah has been boasting about new fibre optic drones that have caused damage to the Israeli military and the northern Israeli villages in recent weeks.

Israel maintains that it will not withdraw its troops until the threat to its northern villages and towns remains. Israel advised its people on Monday not to gather in large numbers.

“What this requires of us now is to increase the blows, to increase the intensity. We will smite them hip and thigh,” Netanyahu added.

Hezbollah has claimed it will continue fighting until Israeli troops withdraw from Lebanon and cease its daily airstrikes for good.

The cost of war

The ongoing fighting has taken a heavy toll on Lebanon.

According to AP, more than one million people have been displaced since the outbreak of hostilities, which began after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Iran, two days after the Iran war began.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, at least 3,213 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the war, and more than 9,700 have been wounded.

Israel has also suffered losses. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says 23 Israeli soldiers and a defence contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon.

In contrast, two civilians have been killed in northern Israel, most of them in drone attacks.

(Written by Nityanjali Bulsu, an intern at The Indian Express)