BEIRUT: Israel expanded its targets in its war with Hezbollah in Lebanon on Monday, killing at least 18 people in its first strike on the town of Aitou in the north, the Lebanese Red Cross said. So far the main focus of Israel's military operations in Lebanon has been in the south, the eastern Bekaa Valley and the suburbs of Beirut. The strike in the northern region hit a house that had been rented to displaced families, Aitou Mayor Joseph Trad said. In addition to the deaths, four people were injured, the Red Cross said.
Israel on Monday ordered residents of 25 villages to evacuate to areas north of the Awali River, which flows through southern Lebanon, as it intensifies its attacks in the region.
An Israeli strike killed Muhammad Kamel Naim, the commander of the anti-tank missile unit of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, in the Nabatieh area of south Lebanon, the military said.
The operations come amidst high tensions between Israel and the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in south Lebanon, with Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen on Monday repeating a call by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the UN troops to leave. Israel and the United Nations have been trading accusations over the peacekeepers in south Lebanon, as Israel keeps pushing its forces through the area in an attempt to wipe out Hezbollah and its military infrastructure.
The UN said Israeli tanks had burst into its base on Sunday, the latest allegations of Israeli violations against peacekeeping forces, that have been condemned by Hezbollah and by Israel's allies. UNIFIL has said previous Israeli attacks on a watchtower, cameras, communications equipment and lighting had limited its monitoring abilities. UN sources say they fear any violations of international law in the conflict will be impossible to monitor.
The European Union's member states have taken too long to condemn Israel's attacks on UNIFIL soldiers in Lebanon, the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday, describing the attacks as "completely unacceptable".
EU countries, led by Italy, France and Spain, have thousands of troops in the 10,000-strong peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, which has said it has repeatedly come under attack from Israeli forces in recent days. On Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged European Union members to respond to a request by Madrid and Ireland to suspend the bloc's free trade agreement with Israel over its attacks in Lebanon and Gaza. — Reuters
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