BEIRUT: One person was killed and eight wounded by Israeli strikes north and south of the Litani River on Monday as hostilities against Lebanon intensified. Israeli authorities said the strikes targeted “Hezbollah military infrastructure,” but residential areas were also hit, causing damage to buildings and neighborhoods.
The escalation unfolded amid reports that Israeli forces had spread chemical substances in areas along the Blue Line that separates Lebanon from Israel, including Lebanese agricultural land, prompting condemnation from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, and the Lebanese Ministry of Environment.
The ministry described the incident as “environmental annihilation aimed at undermining the resilience of southern Lebanon residents.”
In one attack on Monday, an Israeli drone struck a car in Ansariyeh, in the Zahrani area of Sidon district, and killed Hezbollah field commander Abbas Ghadboun, according to messages from the group announcing and mourning his death.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health said four civilians were wounded during the incident. Israel said its operation in the area had targeted “a Hezbollah terrorist.”
