The extended ceasefire in Lebanon has just a couple of days left, and while Israel is maybe withdrawing from population centers, but keeping its military in southern Lebanon with new hilltop surveillance posts, the situation wasn’t less bloody this weekend. Instead, Israel continued attacking and killing Lebanese civilians at a heavy pace.
There were multiple incidents, but perhaps the most flagrant was in the village of Houla. A group of displaced Lebanese civilians and paramedics from Houla were attempting to return home, and as has so often happened in recent weeks, Israeli troops attacked them.
Israeli troops opened fire on the group of unarmed civilians, killing at least one and wounding several others. The slain was identified as a 13-year-old girl named Khadija Atwi. Reportedly her father was killed by Israeli troops as a resistance fighter during the 2024 Israeli invasion.
On top of the killing and injuries sustained, Israeli troops also detained a number of the civilians and captured two of the paramedics tending to the injured. Lebanon has called for the release of the paramedics, noting their capture is contrary to the terms of the ceasefire.
Another attack was reported in the village of Jarjouaa, north of Nabatieh, where an Israeli drone strike targeted a civilian vehicle, killing three people and wounding five others. Among the slain was Ahmed Farhat, a photographer and director for Nabaa TV.
Israel presented this attack as having killed a “senior Hezbollah commander” named Abbas Hammoud. Though that was the name of one of the other people killed in the drone strike, it has not been confirmed that he was actually such a commander. Hezbollah has yet to comment on the matter.
An additional Israeli airstrike was reported against the village of Hrbata, in the Bekaa Valley. This strike was substantially further north than most of Israel’s recent attacks. Israel, as usual, claimed the site was a “Hezbollah facility,” though no evidence supports that claim.
Hrbata isn’t particularly close to any borders and would make a puzzling place for Hezbollah to be storing weapons. Israel presented the putative existence of a Hezbollah facility 100 km north of the Israeli border as a ceasefire violation. No mention was made, however, of all those killed or how such deaths are plainly ceasefire violations themselves.
Other Israeli violations continued to be reported in southern Lebanon, including the demolition of civilian homes. There was also a massive explosion reported near the border village of Kfar Kela. The explosion was reportedly carried out by Israeli forces, but it’s unclear what was it intended to accomplish. However, such explosions destroying infrastructure are not uncommon in the occupied parts of southern Lebanon these days.
