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Intensifying Conflict: Casualties from Rocket Attack and Escalating Military Actions
David Azulay, the head of the regional council in the town of Metula in northern Israel, announced on Thursday the tragic death of five individuals due to a rocket attack from Lebanon. Among the deceased are a local farmer and four foreign agricultural workers.
In a prior statement, the Israeli military reported that it had detected "two projectiles crossing from Lebanon into an open area." Earlier in the day, various Israeli news outlets had reported injuries among the five victims before confirming their fatalities.
In a related development, the Israeli army requested the evacuation of residents from ten villages in southern Lebanon, including the Rashidiya refugee camp for Palestinians in the Tyre area, in preparation for targeting what they described as "Hezbollah-related sites."
The evacuation notice, released by Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee on the X platform, urged residents of "Al-Hawsh, Al-Bazourieh, Rashidiya Camp, Al-Burghliyah, Bastit, Al-Hamiri, Arzi, Al-Matariyah Al-Shoumer, Al-Kharayeb, and Ansar" to relocate to areas north of the Awali River.
Additionally, the Israeli military confirmed on Thursday morning that Israeli warplanes had killed Muhammad Khalil Aliyan, the commander of the anti-tank unit in the Hezbollah-affiliated Hajar sector. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israeli Air Force conducted a swift strike on Wednesday against an aerial unit belonging to Hezbollah that had launched a missile at an aircraft north of Tyre, although it did not hit its target.
Israeli warplanes have been conducting intense airstrikes across various regions in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, and the southern suburbs of Beirut since September 23. These strikes have also affected the capital, Beirut, as well as Mount Lebanon and northern regions. The Israeli military initiated a focused ground operation in southern Lebanon on October 1.
The overall impact of Israeli shelling on Lebanon has resulted in 2,822 deaths and around 12,000 injuries, including a significant number of children and women, alongside approximately 1.4 million displaced individuals, most of whom were registered after September 23.
In response to the ongoing conflict, Hezbollah daily retaliates with rocket fire, drones, and artillery shells targeting military sites, intelligence facilities, and gatherings of troops, as well as settlements.
