Israeli shelling and raids hit southern Lebanon amid fears of new escalation

Fears are growing of an expansion of the confrontation in southern Lebanon, as Israeli shelling continues and chances of stabilizing calm recede, alongside diplomatic moves to contain the escalation. Artillery shelling and Israeli raids targeted several towns including Mansouri, Majdal Zoun, Shaqra, and Mayfadoun, alongside an ammunition explosion in the Upper Galilee raising security concerns.

Fears are growing of an expansion of the confrontation in southern Lebanon, as Israeli shelling continues and chances of stabilizing calm recede, alongside diplomatic moves aimed at containing the escalation and pushing the path of understandings toward withdrawal and reconstruction. The Israeli army revealed on Wednesday its artillery shelling of several towns and areas in southern Lebanon, alongside machine-gun fire toward border areas. The Lebanese National News Agency reported that artillery shelling targeted the towns of Mansouri and Majdal Zoun in the western sector of the south, while machine guns targeted the area of Biyut al-Siyad in the Bint Jbeil district. It added that the shelling hit the outskirts of the towns of Hadatha and Baraashit, and the al-Araish area between Haris and Hadatha in the Bint Jbeil district, as well as the vicinity of the town of Shaqra and Wadi al-Salouqi. The outskirts of the town of Mayfadoun were also subjected to artillery shelling during the night, and areas in Wadi al-Hajir, Wadi Zibqin, Baraashit, and Mayfadoun were targeted, while an Israeli raid struck a house between the towns of Shaqra and Mays al-Jabal. The escalation comes at a time when an ammunition explosion in the Upper Galilee area near the border with southern Lebanon continues to raise security concerns, amid fears that Israel might use the incident as a pretext to carry out a military response inside Lebanese territory, alongside the continuation of shelling and military operations in southern villages. Lebanon had previously received warnings of the possibility of Israel carrying out military operations during the period preceding the elections, including targeting key Hezbollah leaders, without excluding the party's Secretary-General Naim Qassem.