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Lebanese Red Cross Reports 18 Fatalities from Israeli Airstrike in Aito
The Lebanese Red Cross announced on Monday that 18 individuals have been killed and others injured in an Israeli airstrike on the predominantly Christian region of Aito in northern Lebanon. Rescue operations and debris removal are still underway.
As tensions continue to escalate in southern Lebanon, a series of earlier Israeli airstrikes targeted the towns of "Ali al-Nahri," "Masa," and "Brital" in the Bekaa Valley. These attacks follow a surge in hostilities, with Hezbollah declaring on Monday that it launched missiles at a military barracks in central Israel and carried out a "qualitative" missile strike on a naval base near Haifa, following a drone attack which resulted in the deaths of at least four soldiers.
Hezbollah stated in a press release that its fighters executed a "qualitative missile barrage on the Stella Maris naval base northwest of Haifa," just hours after threatening further attacks if Israel continued its "aggression against our people."
Additionally, Hezbollah reported on Monday that it targeted Israeli soldiers within the border town of Maroun al-Ras in southern Lebanon, where Israel has been conducting "limited" ground operations since late September.
In a statement, Hezbollah indicated that its fighters struck "a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in southern Maroun al-Ras with artillery shells," following prior announcements regarding their targeting of soldiers and countering "infiltration attempts" at various border locations.
Earlier, correspondents from "Al Arabiya" and "Al Hadath" reported rocket fire towards Haifa and its vicinity. The Israeli military confirmed that it detected a rocket launched from Lebanon towards Haifa, which landed in an open area, while Hezbollah asserted that it targeted an Israeli force during an infiltration attempt into southern Lebanon.
While the Lebanese news agency reported a series of airstrikes on the towns of Yahr al-Shuqif and Ma'aroub in the south, "Channel 12" in Israel reported intercepting rockets launched from Lebanon towards the Galilee, with some landing in open areas.
Before these developments, our correspondent reported intense clashes between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli army in the Markabah area of southern Lebanon. He noted that Hezbollah fighters also foiled infiltration attempts by units of the Israeli army in areas including Labouna and Khalat al-Tafah, using missiles and heavy weaponry, as per a statement issued following the clashes.
The Israeli military announced the deaths of four soldiers resulting from a drone attack that originated from southern Lebanon, targeting a military base near Benyamina, south of Haifa. An Israeli military spokesperson revealed that there are seven individuals with severe injuries.
