Israeli Airstrikes Kill One, Injure Seven in Southern Lebanon Amid Escalating Tensions
Tensions in the Middle East flared once again on Thursday as Israeli airstrikes struck multiple locations in southern and eastern Lebanon, leaving one person dead and at least seven others injured, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
The strikes, which targeted areas in Shmustar, Bna’foul (Sidon District), and Ansar (Nabatieh District), have raised fears of further escalation in a region already on edge from months of cross-border hostilities.
According to a statement from the ministry’s Emergency Operations Center, one fatality was recorded in the town of Shmustar, while six people were wounded in Ansar and one injured in Bna’foul.
A Lebanese Army Intelligence source confirmed to Xinhua that a total of 31 airstrikes were launched by the Israeli Air Force. While no further operational details were provided, the scale and spread of the bombardment suggest a significant intensification of Israeli military activity in Lebanon.
Lebanon’s caretaker President, Joseph Aoun, strongly condemned the attacks, accusing Israel of pursuing a “systematic policy” designed to cripple the country’s infrastructure, derail its fragile economic recovery, and destabilize its internal security — all under what he described as “false security pretexts.”
“These strikes are not random,” Aoun said. “They are a deliberate attempt to paralyze our productive sectors and undermine Lebanon’s path to stability.”
The latest airstrikes come against the backdrop of ongoing border clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants, which have intensified since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict in October 2023. Southern Lebanon has seen near-daily exchanges of fire, forcing thousands of civilians to flee their homes and stretching humanitarian resources thin.
As both sides dig in, fears grow that Lebanon — still reeling from an economic collapse and political gridlock — could become a larger front in an already volatile regional crisis.
While international observers continue to call for restraint and diplomatic resolution, Thursday’s attacks are a grim reminder of how easily the situation can escalate — and how deeply ordinary civilians continue to bear the brunt.
