Israel escalated its military operations against Lebanon on Sunday, launching airstrikes on the village of Kfar Hatta in southern Lebanon's Litani River area, which had previously been regarded as a safe zone.
Residents of Kfar Hatta endured a devastating weekend. On Saturday, they received evacuation warnings effective until further notice. The following day, the village came under heavy bombardment, which killed a family of seven.
Once considered a safe haven, Kfar Hatta had been hosting almost 2,400 displaced Lebanese who fled other parts of southern Lebanon. The town suddenly becomes a direct target of Israeli attacks.
"What happened speaks for itself; seven people were killed here, including a child. There's nothing here, and Kfar Hatta is safe. We turned it into a shelter for displaced people, whom we may call our guests, and we hold our heads high with them -- those we are embracing. On what basis did we establish these shelters here? On the basis that Kfar Hatta has nothing to do with this war," said Hussein Salman, mayor of the town.
Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes Sunday night and Monday morning on several areas in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, killing at least 16 people and wounding several others, according to Lebanese official sources.
Lebanon's Disaster Risk Management Unit said on Monday that the cumulative death toll stands at 1,497 and the number of wounded is 4,639 since the start of the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2.
Hezbollah said Monday in a series of statements that it targeted an Israeli tank in the town of Rshaf in southern Lebanon with a guided missile and launched two rocket barrages at the settlements of Nahariyya and Kiryat Shmona in Israel.
For years, Israel claimed it had seriously weakened Hezbollah's military infrastructure, but analysts argue the group's capabilities remain intact.
"For a long time, Israel had claimed that it had eliminated Hezbollah's capabilities and targeted its infrastructure over the course of three years. Yet, it has become clear that the group's military infrastructure remains intact, capable and strong, and that it possesses missiles and drones. Now it (Israel) is directly targeting civilians, committing massacres, bombing homes and claiming they are Hezbollah infrastructure, while carrying out operations to terrorize civilians and force them to flee. These are war crimes," said Akram Srewi, a political analyst.
Israel escalates attacks on Lebanon, killing at least 7 in 'safe zone'
Israel escalates attacks on Lebanon, killing at least 7 in 'safe zone'
Israel escalates attacks on Lebanon, killing at least 7 in 'safe zone'
