Israeli bombardment continued in southern Lebanon throughout Thursday night and into Friday, as warplanes launched raids at Kfar Rumman, Khiam, Aita al-Shaab, Shihabiya, Jabshit, Harouf, Ansar and Ansar al-Duwair.
On Thursday after midnight, Kfar Rumman was subjected to two consecutive warplane raids, in addition to two raids on the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab and a second on the town of Hanin.
The cities and villages of Tyre and Bint Jbeil witnessed heavy Israeli raids until Friday early morning, as fighter jets and drones targeted areas and destroyed entire buildings and neighborhoods.
Successive and intense air attacks on Majdel Selm led to the destruction of the town’s old mosque.
Israeli artillery targeted the towns of Aita al-Shaab, Ramiya, al-Dhaira, al-Bustan, Maroun, Yaroun and the outskirts of Bint Jbeil with heavy shelling that lasted for more than half an hour, accompanied by heavy machine gun fire towards the towns of Marwahin and Tarbikha in the western sector.
Overnight, heavy reconnaissance drones were reported above the Litani river at low altitude and flares were launched over the border villages adjacent to the Blue Line.
Hezbollah:
For its part, Hezbollah had claimed responsibility for “shelling the Zafalon settlement with a large rocket,” and “targeting a gathering of Israeli soldiers with a rocket salvo in the vicinity of the town of Aita al-Shaab, while they were trying to evacuate the wounded and dead soldiers.”
Hezbollah Statement:
Hezbollah also issued a statement early Friday morning announcing a shift in strategy and a “transition to a new and escalating stage.”
The pro-Iranian group issued a statement claiming that the Israeli army had suffered “heavy losses” in confrontations on the frontline of southern Lebanon to Israeli positions inside.
“The Israeli enemy army has brought five military divisions, including 70,000 officers and soldiers, and hundreds of tanks and military vehicles,” the statement added.
https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/articles/1299168/israel-continues-operations-and-hezb-escalates