BEIRUT: Fears of a major escalation in southern Lebanon rose Friday after an Israeli attack killed two Hezbollah and two Hamas members.
One of the Hamas members was Samer al-Haj, the group's security officer in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, who was killed when the car he was riding in was hit by a missile fired by an Israeli drone. The incident took place in Sidon, 44 kilometers from Beirut, and was the first time the city had been targeted.
Earlier, two Hezbollah members were killed in an attack in Nakora.
Hostilities continued on Friday as the Lebanese government – which is also represented by Hezbollah – welcomed a joint statement by the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and the US.
The statement emphasized “the need to immediately end the suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, reach a ceasefire and conclude an agreement to release hostages and prisoners”.
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More airlines have suspended their flights to Lebanon, fearing a possible outbreak of conflict in the Middle East.
It called on the two sides to the conflict to “immediately resume discussions to remove remaining obstacles to reaching the necessary agreement”.
Lebanon's Foreign Ministry said, “The tripartite statement embodies Lebanon's approach to de-escalate tensions in the region and avoid an all-out regional war in accordance with the basic first phase of an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2735, which is based on the initiative of US President Joe Biden.
It stressed “the need to apply maximum pressure to force Israel to sit at the negotiating table and implement UN Security Council Resolution 2735 without delay.”
The Lebanese statement came after the Israeli Broadcasting Authority announced that “residents of towns bordering Lebanon are required to stay close to safe zones until further notice.”
Also on Friday, Israeli drones were seen flying over border villages including Yahun, Konin and Bint Jabal, using loudspeakers to broadcast provocative messages in Arabic against Hezbollah and its Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, prompting armed men to respond by firing machine guns at them. .
The Cypriot government announced its “readiness to help evacuate European citizens from Lebanon”.
The US Embassy in Beirut reiterated in a statement on Friday that it “encourages those wishing to travel to Lebanon to book any ticket available to them, even if that flight does not depart immediately or does not follow their first choice route.”
It recommended that “U.S. citizens not leaving Lebanon prepare emergency plans and be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period of time.”
More airlines, including Air Algeria and Air India, have suspended flights to Lebanon amid fears of further conflict in the Middle East.
Royal Jordanian resumed flights to Beirut after suspending them since July 29.
The UK advised airlines in the UK “not to enter Lebanese skies from August 8 to November 4”, citing “potential risks to aviation from military activity”.
On the first day of the 11th month of ongoing hostilities, additional Israeli killings of Hezbollah operatives were reported following Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace as well as the ability to infiltrate landline and cell calls and the Internet network.
Hezbollah announced the deaths of Mehdi Mahmoud Kasabani, 30, from Harouf, and Hadi Jihad Deeb, 27, from Bafliyeh in southern Lebanon, who were killed in an Israeli attack in Naqora early Friday.
Israel targeted a house in Aita al-Shabaab and Hanoua on Thursday night and Friday morning. The house was empty, but five civilians in nearby houses were injured, according to the Ministry of Health.
Israeli military spokesman Avichai Adrai said Israel's targets were “Hezbollah's command headquarters in Hanoi and infrastructure in Aita al-Shabaab”.
A Lebanese security source said Hezbollah responded with a series of attacks that were “limited to Israeli military, strategic and logistical bases, in response to specific Israeli attacks, avoiding civilian targets.
Israel's Army Radio reported “several attacks on the (Kiriyat Shamona) settlement,” adding that “the final salvo included 10 rockets fired from Lebanon toward the settlement.”
Israeli media reported that five explosions were heard and a missile landed in Kiryat Shamona.
Hezbollah said it “bombarded the command headquarters of the 769th Brigade in the Kiryat Shmona barracks with a salvo of Katyusha rockets in response to Israel's attack on Hanau.” It also targeted a “gathering of Israeli soldiers around Metula with missile weapons”.
In response to the attack on Nakoura, Hezbollah launched a squadron of precision drones at the command headquarters of a coastal battalion belonging to the newly established Western Brigade in Liman, “targeting the location and concentration of its officers and soldiers.”
The group said it “accurately hit its target and caused a confirmed casualty.”
Hezbollah attacked “rocket weapons at the Al-Sammaka site in the occupied Lebanese Kafarchouba Hills” and “a building used by soldiers in the Manara settlement”.
Israeli airstrikes hit the town of Tallouseh in the Marzion district, with artillery shelling the town.
