After direct discussions in Washington aimed at ensuring lasting peace between the two countries, Lebanon was targeted by numerous Israeli strikes on Wednesday, April 15th.
Israeli airstrikes hit the south of Lebanon, prompting residents to evacuate a large area between the border and the Zahrani River, over 40 kilometers north. According to the National News Agency (Ani), two Israeli strikes targeted two vehicles on a highway about twenty kilometers south of Beirut. One hit a car in Jiyeh and the other struck a van in the neighboring area of Saadiyat, both of which are not Hezbollah strongholds.
A photographer from the Agence France-Presse (AFP) witnessed a burnt car with firefighters working to extinguish the fire. Rescue teams were recovering human remains from the vehicle and its surroundings while the army established a security cordon causing a massive traffic jam.
In the past 24 hours, the Israeli army has targeted over 200 Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon, including terrorists, military structures, and approximately 20 rocket launchers.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah group claimed to be obstructing enemy soldiers from taking control of Bint Jbeil, a town about 5 kilometers from the border where clashes are ongoing.
Hezbollah, in response, fired around thirty rockets at Israel on Wednesday morning, hitting locations near the northern Israeli border.
On Tuesday evening, Lebanon and Israel held direct talks in Washington, marking the first such talks in over thirty years. Both countries are scheduled to begin direct negotiations to establish lasting peace, although a ceasefire has not been announced.
The Chief of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Barham Saleh, made an urgent appeal to the international community to support Lebanon amid the ongoing conflict.
The humanitarian consequences of the conflict are significant, with over a million people displaced in Lebanon since the Israeli airstrikes began on March 2nd. Among them, more than 140,000 are in government-managed shelters.
