Israeli strikes kill 5 in southern Lebanon as Hezbollah rockets hit open positions in Israel
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Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least five people on Friday, while the Iran-backed Hezbollah group fired rockets into northern Israel without causing any casualties.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said an Israeli airstrike on the southern village of Toura, near the port city of Tire, killed four people and wounded eight. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported another airstrike near the southeastern town of Kfar Chouba, saying it killed paramedics and the Lebanese Civil Defense.
The strikes came hours after an Arabic-speaking Israeli army spokesman issued a warning to evacuate residents of six villages in Tire province, including Toura.
Early in the morning, Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward northern Israel. Israel’s military said it shot down one rocket, while the rest landed in open areas without injury.
A truce has been in place since April 17, but violence has continued, including an Israeli airstrike in a suburb south of Beirut on Wednesday.
The Israeli military said on Thursday it had killed Ahmed Balout, whom it identified as the head of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, along with two other terrorists. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.
Lebanon-Israel talks are expected next week
Israel says it has killed more than 85 Hezbollah terrorists and attacked 180 locations used by the group last week, without providing evidence.
On Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told a delegation visited by the European Union that European countries must pressure Israel to commit to a cease-fire and to stop bombing and bombing homes in villages under Israeli control.
Aoun added, in a statement issued by his office, that Lebanon is committed to ending the war in order to start negotiations that will end the current situation.
Hadja Lahbib, the European equality commissioner, told reporters after meeting with Aoun that Israel and Hezbollah are taking over Lebanon.
“Hezbollah must stop its attacks and disarm, and Israel must limit its targeting and target aid centers,” Lahbib said.
The Israeli military says it has killed Ahmed Ali Balout, commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan army, in an airstrike in Beirut. Lebanese officials say the strike left four people dead. There is a cease-fire agreement between the countries, but Israel has continued to operate in Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah.
Aoun later met with Simon Karam, the head of the Lebanese delegation to negotiate with Israel in Washington. The meeting is expected to be held in Washington next Thursday and Friday.
The latest war between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel, two days after the United States and Israel launched a war against its main sponsor, Iran. Israel has since launched hundreds of airstrikes and raided southern Lebanon, capturing dozens of border towns and villages.
Later, Lebanon and Israel held their first direct talks in more than three decades. The two countries have been officially at war since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.
The 10-day moratorium announced in Washington went into effect on April 17. It was later extended by three weeks.
