Beirut:

Israel carried out dozens of strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Wednesday, killing a metropolis mayor, toppling buildings and inflicting widespread destruction in a number of southern areas.

The most recent exchanges within the Israel-Hezbollah battle got here after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed rising requires a ceasefire.

The Israeli military mentioned its warplanes struck dozens of Hezbollah targets within the southern metropolis of Nabatiyeh, the place the Lebanese group and its ally Amal maintain sway.

The Lebanese well being ministry mentioned six individuals had been killed and 43 injured within the strikes on two municipal buildings, including that rescuers had been looking via the rubble for survivors.

The town’s mayor was among the many lifeless, an area official informed AFP, including that the strikes “fashioned a sort of belt of fireside”.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the assault, saying that Israel “intentionally focused a gathering of the municipal council that was discussing the town’s companies and aid state of affairs”.

Rescuers had been additionally looking via rubble for survivors within the southern Lebanese village of Qana, the place Israeli strikes killed three individuals and injured 54 on Tuesday, the Lebanese ministry mentioned.

AFP footage confirmed mass destruction within the village, the place total buildings had been levelled.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli air strikes hit Hezbollah’s essential stronghold within the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut.

Hezbollah mentioned its fighters had been locked in clashes at “point-blank vary” close to the southern village of Al-Qawzah.

Israel ramped up its bombardment, primarily focusing on Hezbollah strongholds, in late September and despatched floor troops throughout the Lebanese border on September 30.

The Israel-Hezbollah struggle has left no less than 1,373 individuals lifeless in Lebanon, based on an AFP tally of Lebanese well being ministry figures, although the true toll is probably going larger.

Iran-backed Hezbollah began low-intensity strikes on Israel in October final yr in assist of its ally Hamas, following its October 7 assault that triggered the Gaza struggle.

With Hamas weakened however not defeated, Israel widened the main focus of its army operations to incorporate Lebanon, vowing to battle till tens of 1000’s of Israelis compelled by Hezbollah’s fireplace to flee their houses are in a position to return.

Israel hanging nuclear websites ‘unlikely’

The area has additionally braced for Israel’s promised retaliation in opposition to its arch-foe Iran for launching round 200 missiles at Israel on October 1.

Iran mentioned the assault was itself retaliation for an Israeli strike in Beirut days earlier than that killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian basic Abbas Nilforoushan.

US President Joe Biden has warned Israel in opposition to hanging Iran’s nuclear or oil amenities.

A spokesman of Iran’s atomic company, Behrouz Kamalvandi, mentioned on Wednesday that an Israeli assault on key Iranian nuclear websites was “not possible”.

If Israel had been to do “such a silly factor,” Iran might “rapidly compensate” for any potential injury, he added.

Tehran has repeatedly threatened to retaliate if Israel assaults.

Strain on Israel 

However Netanyahu informed French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday that he was “against a unilateral ceasefire, which doesn’t change the safety state of affairs in Lebanon,” based on his workplace.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant then referred to as Macron a “shame” after Israeli delegations had been banned from exhibiting {hardware} at a defence present being held in France subsequent month.

The US authorities — Israel’s prime arms provider — has additionally criticised Israel’s air strikes in Lebanon.

“Now we have made clear that we’re against the marketing campaign the best way we have seen it carried out over the previous weeks” in Beirut, State Division spokesman Matthew Miller mentioned.

Israel has additionally confronted criticism over accidents and injury sustained by UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping power in Lebanon.

On Wednesday, 16 European Union defence ministers referred to as “for optimum political and diplomatic strain on Israel” to forestall additional incidents in opposition to peacekeepers in Lebanon.

Israeli Overseas Minister Israel Katz mentioned his nation “locations nice significance on the actions of UNIFIL and has no intention of harming the organisation or its personnel”.

The Lebanese Crimson Cross mentioned two paramedics had been wounded on Wednesday in an Israeli strike on a south Lebanon village whereas a rescue mission coordinated with UN peacekeepers was underway.

UNICEF, the UN’s company for kids, mentioned Lebanese youngsters had been “at rising threat of” well being points “together with waterborne illnesses like cholera, hepatitis and diarrhoea” as a result of the combating had broken or disrupted important companies.

Famine fears in Gaza

There has additionally been a refrain of worldwide condemnation in regards to the humanitarian disaster in hunger-ravaged Gaza.

In a letter despatched to the Israeli authorities on Sunday, the USA warned it might withhold weapons deliveries except extra humanitarian help was delivered to Palestinians in Gaza.

The UN company for Palestinian refugees warned on Wednesday that there was “an actual threat” of famine in Gaza.

The besieged strip has “develop into a sort of wasteland, which I’d say is nearly unliveable,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini mentioned.

Israel launched a army marketing campaign in Gaza after the October 7 assault by Hamas resulted within the deaths of 1,206 individuals in Israel, principally civilians, based on an AFP tally of official Israeli figures, together with hostages killed in captivity.

The Israeli marketing campaign has killed 42,409 individuals, the bulk civilians, based on figures from the well being ministry within the Hamas-run territory which the UN considers dependable.

For over per week, Israeli forces have engaged in a sweeping air and floor assault focusing on northern Gaza and the world round Jabalia amid claims that Hamas operators had been regrouping there.

Nidal al-Arab misplaced 10 of his members of the family throughout Israeli strikes on Jabalia.

“Individuals are trapped. If they do not die of shelling, they’ll quickly die of thirst and starvation as a result of the siege is getting tighter,” the 40-year-old informed AFP.

(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)