Israeli artillery shelling on southern Lebanon (Al Jazeera)
On Monday, the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation army continued mutual shelling on both sides of the border, for the hundredth day since the outbreak of attacks between them on October 8, while Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib welcomed US mediation to reduce escalation with Israel.
Hezbollah announced that it had carried out seven operations against Israeli military positions off the southern border of Lebanon.
The party said that its fighters targeted with rockets two gatherings of Israeli occupation soldiers in the vicinity of the "Ramim" and "Mitat" barracks.
The party also targeted the sites of "Al-Malikiyah", "Al-Samaqa" and "Birkat Risha" with guided missiles, in addition to bombing the new spy equipment in the vicinity of the "Metulla" site, confirming that direct hits were achieved in the four sites.
The Israeli military said its planes and artillery bombed Hezbollah military equipment in southern Lebanon.
Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that Israeli artillery shelled the vicinity of the towns of Al-Dhahera, Hanin, Al-Jabin, Shiheen, Markaba, Rab Thalateen, Mays Al-Jabal, Al-Fardis and Rashaya Al-Foukhar, in southern Lebanon.
According to the official Lebanese news agency, the Israeli army's artillery targeted the outskirts of the towns of Sarda and Sahl Marjayoun in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon.
The agency said that the Israeli reconnaissance aircraft have been flying since Sunday night over villages adjacent to the Blue Line in the western and central sectors, in conjunction with the launch of flares over the villages of Tyre and Bint Jbeil.
U.S. Mediation
Politically, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib on Monday welcomed the readiness of the United States to mediate with the aim of reducing escalation with Israel and restoring calm and stability to southern Lebanon.
Bouhabib made the remarks during a meeting with Chargé d'Affaires of the Washington Embassy in Beirut, Lisa Johnson, according to a statement by the Lebanese Foreign Ministry.
According to the ministry, Bou Habib said Lebanon received with satisfaction the readiness of the United States to mediate in de-escalation and the restoration of calm and stability to the south.
"We are talking to the US side with openness and a positive spirit to reach sustainable solutions that preserve Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and guarantee rights, security and stability, especially for the people of southern Lebanon," the minister said.
Last Thursday, the US president's special envoy for global energy security, Amos Hockstein, who is handling indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, called from Beirut to calm the situation in southern Lebanon and work on a temporary compromise with Israel to avoid the worst.
In "solidarity with the Gaza Strip", Hezbollah and Palestinian factions in Lebanon have been exchanging daily sporadic shelling with Israel since October 8, 2023, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries on both sides of the border, including civilians and journalists.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a devastating war on Gaza, which has so far left 24,100 martyrs, 60,832 injured, and caused the displacement of more than 85% of the population of the Gaza Strip (equivalent to one million and 900,<> people), according to the Gaza authorities and the United Nations.
Source : Al Jazeera + Agencies