Israeli forces carried out multiple airstrikes against southern Lebanon today, targeting the village of Houla and the town of Tayr Harfa. One Hezbollah member was reported killed in the Houla strike and four people wounded, three of whom were hospitalized.
The strike on Tayr Harfa targeted paramedics carrying out humanitarian duties at the time. Two of were wounded in the attack and their vehicle damaged by a mortar shell.
Israel reported it was attacking “terrorist infrastructure” in Houla but have yet to address what they were expecting to accomplish in attacking the paramedics. Paramedics with civil defense groups have been targeted several times in recent months.
Israel has been carrying out near daily attacks on southern Lebanon and talking up a potential invasion of their northern neighbor. The US has been cautioning Israel, which is already engaged in a Gaza invasion, against launching another war.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is reportedly against escalating into a Lebanon invasion right now, saying he believes the focus should be on a hostage exchange with Hamas in Gaza first.
There are many hawks in the current Israeli government, however, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly threatening to fire Gallant if he gets in the way of starting a full-scale war on Lebanon in a timely fashion.
