Ongoing Escalation in Lebanon: Occupation Demands Evacuation to North of Litani

SadaNews - The Israeli military escalation in Lebanon continues for the third consecutive day, with intensified airstrikes in several areas, alongside attempts to advance on the ground in the south of the country. The Ministry of Health reported that the death toll in Lebanon has risen to 72 martyrs and 437 injured, while Hezbollah announced that it confronted an Israeli force that attempted to advance towards the city of Al-Khiyam after direct clashes.

In turn, Hezbollah announced the execution of 23 military operations on Wednesday, targeting Israeli sites and military bases in northern and central Israel. Meanwhile, the Israeli army continued to carry out intensive airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, where one strike targeted a building in the Haret Hreik area after issuing an evacuation warning to residents.

The Israeli army also expanded the scope of its strikes to include northern Lebanon, as a drone targeted a house in the Al-Badawi camp near the city of Tripoli early Thursday morning, resulting in the death of Hamas leader Wasim Attallah Ali and his wife, and injuring one of their daughters.

On the political front, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "maintain the territorial integrity of Lebanon and refrain from launching a ground operation," during a telephone conversation between them. Macron also conducted separate calls with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, noting that France is closely monitoring the situation in Lebanon amid what he described as a "urgent humanitarian situation" resulting from the military escalation.