Israel Bombs Main Bridge on the Litani River in Southern Lebanon

SadaNews - An airstrike targeted the main Qasmiya bridge in southern Lebanon after the Israeli Defense Minister vowed to destroy bridges crossing the Litani River.

The "National News Agency" reported: "The Israeli enemy targeted the Qasmiya bridge on the coastal highway. "

A French Press Agency correspondent reported seeing smoke rising after the bridge, located north of Tyre, was targeted, while local media broadcast live footage showing the bridge being hit by successive strikes.

Katz previously stated that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued orders to the army to accelerate the demolition of Lebanese homes in "borderline villages" to end the threats facing Israeli areas.

Katz added in a statement from his office that the army received orders to immediately destroy all bridges over the Lebanese Litani River, which he said were used for "terrorist activities. "

The Israeli ground incursion into southern Lebanon reached the outskirts of the coastal town of Naqoura yesterday, marking the first attacks in this direction, where direct clashes with light and medium machine-gun fire and rocket shells broke out between the Israeli army and "Hezbollah" fighters on the outskirts of the town.

In addition to Naqoura, battles in southern Lebanon reached the level of "direct contact" on the front of the city of Khiam as field sources in Marjayoun told "Asharq Al-Awsat" that the fighting intensified with medium and light machine-gun fire, marking one of the rare instances where gunfire has been heard with such intensity in the region.

Earlier, one Israeli was killed in his car near the border with Lebanon, in what the army described as an attack that was launched "from" Lebanese territory. This was the first death of an Israeli civilian due to gunfire from Lebanon in the current war. Two Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes in southern Lebanon.

International law generally prohibits armies from attacking civilian infrastructure. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights criticized Israel's actions in Lebanon, particularly its use of widespread evacuation orders.

Katz stated that the army received orders to destroy all bridges over the Litani River, which he claimed were used for "terrorist activities", adding that this aim is to prevent fighters from the Lebanese "Hezbollah" from bringing their weapons to the south. He added that the army was instructed to speed up the demolition of Lebanese homes in "villages on the battlefield" to neutralize threats facing residential areas in Israel.

Katz described this approach as similar to the model used by the Israeli army in Beit Hanoun and Rafah in the Gaza Strip, where buffer zones were created by removing and demolishing buildings near the border.

Katz's office noted that the minister made these remarks during a meeting with the army chief of staff and other senior officials.

Israel is conducting an intensive bombing campaign against southern Lebanon and areas in Beirut targeting "Hezbollah" after the Iran-backed group fired upon Israel in response to the killing of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei in Israeli strikes.

On March 13, the Israeli army destroyed a bridge over the Litani River for the first time in the current war and stated that "Hezbollah" uses it, and destroyed two other bridges on the 18th of the current month.

Israeli soldiers also carried out what the army described as specific target ground maneuvers and raids on villages that it claimed target fighters from "Hezbollah" and arms locations.

Israeli officials say that the air and ground campaigns aim to protect residents in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon from attacks by "Hezbollah". More than a thousand have been killed in Lebanon so far, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot met with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar in Jerusalem on Friday, informing reporters that he expressed France's reservations about a "large-scale and prolonged" ground operation.

Barrot stated that he urged Lebanese and Israeli officials to find a permanent solution, indicating that this cannot be achieved through military force alone.

Earlier this month, Katz warned the Lebanese government that it was witnessing damage to infrastructure and would lose territory unless "Hezbollah" was disarmed.

The Lebanese government has prohibited military activities by "Hezbollah" and has expressed a willingness to engage in direct talks with Israel.

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