Hezbollah announced on Friday that its fighters confronted Israeli troops advancing toward a southern Lebanese town, as Israel continued its airstrikes in Lebanon. In a statement, the group said its fighters first targeted Israeli forces moving toward Majdal Zoun, about five kilometers from the border, on Thursday evening with repeated rocket barrages, compelling them to retreat. On Friday, Hezbollah said it engaged the advancing force with light and medium weapons and rockets. The group also claimed other attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
Israeli Evacuation Warnings and Strikes
The Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for three southern Lebanese villages. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported a series of strikes across the south, including areas not covered by the Israeli warning. Later, the NNA reported large explosions and artillery shelling near the Ali Taher hills, overlooking the southern city of Nabatieh.
Vatican Aid Convoy Intercepted
An aid convoy organized by the Vatican envoy to Lebanon, bound for southern Christian villages whose residents stayed despite the conflict, was stopped by the Israeli military and forced to change course, a convoy member told AFP on Friday.
Background of the Conflict
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Israel has since conducted a massive campaign of strikes and a ground invasion, killing over 3,700 people in Lebanon and occupying a large part of the country's south.
An April ceasefire in Lebanon was never observed, and fighting has continued despite a new conditional truce deal announced last week after Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington. Hezbollah rejected the conditional agreement, which requires it to stop attacks but makes no mention of Israel ceasing attacks or withdrawing troops. Iran insists that Lebanon must be part of any agreement to end the wider Middle East war.
