A view shows a damaged site in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon.
Jerusalem: Israel expanded its targets in its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon on Monday, killing at least 18 people in its first attack on the Christian-majority town of Aito in the north, the Lebanese Red Cross said.
So far, the main focus of Israeli military operations in Lebanon has been the south, the eastern Bekaa Valley and the suburbs of Beirut.
Aito Mayor Joseph Trad told Reuters that the attack in the northern region targeted a house that was rented to displaced families. The Red Cross said that in addition to the deaths, four people were also injured.
Israel on Monday ordered residents of 25 villages to move to areas north of the Awali river that flows through southern Lebanon, as it steps up its attacks in the region.
An Israeli attack in the Nabatiyeh region of southern Lebanon killed Muhammad Kamel Naim, the commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force anti-tank missile unit, the army said.
Hezbollah did not immediately comment.
The operation comes amid high tensions between Israel and UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, with Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen on Monday reiterating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for UN troops to leave.
Israel and the UN have been trading accusations over peacekeepers in south Lebanon, as Israel sends its forces into the region in an effort to root out Iran-backed Hezbollah and its military infrastructure while fighting Hamas in Gaza.
The United Nations said Israeli tanks had entered its base on Sunday, the latest allegation of Israeli violations against peacekeepers that have been condemned by Hezbollah and Israel’s allies.
Israel disputed the UN statement and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the peacekeepers to be withdrawn, saying they were providing “human shields” for Hezbollah during an escalation in hostilities.
Hezbollah denied that it used the peacekeepers’ proximity for protection.
Meanwhile, the Middle East remains on high alert to retaliate against Iran for its attack with long-range missiles on October 1 in response to Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.
The Pentagon said on Sunday it would send US troops to Israel along with an advanced US anti-missile system, as Israel considers its expected retaliatory strike against Iran.
The Israeli military took foreign journalists to southern Lebanon on Sunday and showed them a Hezbollah tunnel shaft less than 200 metres (650 feet) from UNIFIL’s position, as well as weapons caches found by the troops.
Brig. Gen. Yiftach Norkin said the tunnels were built a few years ago.
“We are actually standing in a military base of Hezbollah very close to the United Nations,” Norkin said, pointing to the shaft’s trap door, which was covered in brush and visible from a UN monitoring post.
Since announcing its ground operation near the border, the Israeli military says it has destroyed dozens of Hezbollah tunnel shafts, rocket launchers and command posts.
“We found several days ago a large quantity of weapons coming from Iran and Russia. Brand new,” Col. Olivier Rafowicz said. “They were ready to attack us and (launch) a major offensive into Israel’s north,” Rafowicz said, showing boxes of weapons to reporters.
Reuters could not immediately confirm these claims.
Extensive tunnel network
Hezbollah has an extensive tunnel network in southern Lebanon, both the group and Israel say. Israel estimates they stretch for hundreds of kilometres. A Hezbollah field commander told Reuters last week that the tunnels were “the foundation of the fighting.” Hezbollah did not immediately comment.
UNIFIL has said previous Israeli attacks on watchtowers, cameras, communications equipment and lighting had limited its monitoring capabilities. UN sources say they fear it will be impossible to monitor any violations of international law in the conflict.
European Union member states have taken too long to condemn Israel’s attacks on Unifil troops in Lebanon, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday, describing the attacks as “totally unacceptable.”
EU countries led by Italy, France and Spain have deployed thousands of troops in a 10,000-soldier peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon. Lebanon has said it has been repeatedly attacked by Israeli forces in recent days. On Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged EU members to respond to a request by Madrid and Ireland to suspend the bloc’s free trade agreement with Israel because of attacks in Lebanon and Gaza.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah resumed a year ago when the operator group began firing rockets at Israeli targets in support of Hamas at the start of the Gaza war and has escalated sharply in recent weeks.
Israel says its campaign in Lebanon is aimed at ensuring the return of thousands of residents displaced from their homes in northern Israel.
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