A Lebanese woman was killed and several others injured in Israeli airstrikes on the town of Arab Salim in the Nabatieh district of southern Lebanon. Lebanon's Health Ministry said six people were wounded in Thursday's attack, including a child, a woman, and two elderly individuals.
Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that the woman who died had “been married for just 48 hours” and that her home was also destroyed in the strike.
Lebanese security sources said at least 10 Israeli airstrikes were carried out in the wider Nabatieh area. NNA also reported artillery shelling targeting the outskirts of Rashaf town in the Bint Jbeil district.
The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah after the Iran-backed armed group attacked its soldiers in southern Lebanon overnight. The military said it targeted Hezbollah “weapons depots.”
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said: “Israel has targeted the town of Arab Salim in Nabatieh province. They hit a residential area.” She also cited the Israeli military as saying the attack was in response to Hezbollah launching armed drones at Israeli forces on Ali al-Taher ridge overnight, which caused no casualties.
Khodr noted: “This is not the first time the Israeli military has accused Hezbollah of targeting their forces in this area, which holds a strategic high ground overlooking Nabatieh city, itself a disputed territory. We know the Israeli military wants Hezbollah out of this area, so we are seeing escalating military pressure.”
Israel has intensified airstrikes on southern Lebanon in recent days, following a series of attacks on August 15 that Lebanon said killed 11 people, including several children. The Israeli military called those airstrikes a response to a Hezbollah attack.
Tensions between Israel and Lebanon have escalated since the Gaza war began in 2023. Lebanon was drawn into the conflict on March 2, days after the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran. Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Tehran, leading to major Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion that Lebanese authorities say has killed more than 4,300 people.
The ongoing attacks have sparked debate in Beirut over the “framework” agreement Lebanon signed with Israel in June, which envisions a phased Israeli withdrawal in exchange for deploying the Lebanese army and disarming armed groups, a reference to Hezbollah.
