BEIRUT: Fears of a serious escalation in southern Lebanon grew on Friday after two separate Israeli strikes killed two Hezbollah members and two Hamas members.
One of the Hamas members was Samer Al-Hajj, the group's security officer in the Ain Al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, who was killed when the car he was in was hit by a missile fired from an Israeli drone. The incident occurred in Sidon, 44 kilometers from Beirut, and was the first time the city had been targeted.
Two Hezbollah members had been killed in a previous attack on Naquora.
Hostilities continued on Friday as the Lebanese government, which also includes Hezbollah, welcomed a joint statement from the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and the United States.
The statement stressed “the need to immediately end the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, reach a ceasefire and conclude an agreement to release hostages and detainees.”
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Fears that the conflict could spread to the Middle East have prompted more and more airlines to suspend flights to Lebanon.
He also called on the two parties to the conflict “to resume urgent discussions to overcome the remaining obstacles to reaching the desired agreement.”
The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “what is included in the trilateral declaration embodies Lebanon's vision of easing tension in the region and avoiding an all-out regional war according to a first key step, which is the 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.”
He stressed “the need to exert maximum pressure on Israel to force it to sit at the negotiating table and implement UN Security Council Resolution 2735 without delay.”
The Lebanese statement came as the Israel Broadcasting Authority announced that “residents of cities bordering Lebanon are required to remain near safe areas until further notice.”
Also on Friday, Israeli drones were seen flying over border villages, including Yahoun, Kounine and Bint Jbeil, using loudspeakers to broadcast provocative messages in Arabic against Hezbollah and its Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, prompting armed residents to respond with machine gun fire.
The government of Cyprus has declared “its readiness to assist in the evacuation of European civilians from Lebanon”.
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut reiterated in a statement Friday that it “encourages those wishing to depart Lebanon to book any available ticket, even if the flight does not depart immediately or does not follow the previously chosen route.”
It recommended that “U.S. citizens who choose not to leave Lebanon prepare contingency plans for emergencies and be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period.”
Fears that the conflict could spread to the Middle East have prompted several airlines to suspend flights to Lebanon, including Air Algerie and Air India.
Royal Jordanian has resumed flights to Beirut, after suspending them since July 29.
Britain has advised UK airlines “not to enter Lebanese airspace from August 8 to November 4”, citing “a potential risk to aviation from military activity”.
On the first day of the eleventh month of ongoing hostilities, further Israeli assassinations of Hezbollah cadres were reported, following further Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace and its ability to infiltrate landlines, mobile phones and the Internet.
Hezbollah announced the deaths of Mehdi Mahmoud Ksaibani, 30, from Harouf, and Hadi Jihad Deeb, 27, from Bafliyeh in southern Lebanon, who died during an Israeli raid in Naqoura on Friday morning.
On Thursday night and Friday morning, Israel targeted Aita Al-Shaab and a house in Hanaouay. The house was empty, but five civilians in nearby homes were injured, according to the Health Ministry.
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said that Israel's target was “Hezbollah's command headquarters in Hanaouay and infrastructure in Aita Al-Shaab.”
A Lebanese security source said that Hezbollah responded with a series of limited attacks on “Israeli military, strategic and logistical bases, in response to specific Israeli attacks, avoiding civilian targets.
Israel Army Radio reported “several attacks on the settlement (of Kiryat Shmona),” adding that “the latest salvo included 10 rockets fired from Lebanon toward the settlement.”
Israeli media reported that five explosions were heard and that a missile landed in Kiryat Shmona.
Hezbollah said it had shelled “the 769th Brigade command headquarters in the Kiryat Shmona barracks with a salvo of Katyusha rockets, in response to Israel's attacks on Hanaouay.” It also targeted a “gathering of Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of Metula with rocket weapons.”
In response to the attack on Naqoura, Hezbollah launched a squadron of precision drones against the headquarters of the coastal battalion command belonging to the newly formed Western Brigade in Liman, “targeting the positions and concentrations of its officers and soldiers.”
The group said it “precisely hit its targets and caused confirmed casualties.”
Hezbollah attacked “the Al-Sammaqa site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kfarchouba with missile weapons” and “a building used by soldiers in the Manara settlement.”
Israeli airstrikes hit the town of Tallouseh in the Marjeyoun district, coinciding with artillery shelling of the town.
