Israeli fighters launched a series of raids on towns in southern Lebanon (French)

Hezbollah announced that it attacked 8 Israeli sites off the southern border of Lebanon and in the occupied Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shuba hills.

On the other hand, Israeli fighters launched raids on Lebanese towns.

This comes as the Lebanese Foreign Ministry announced that it had delivered to the French ambassador in Beirut the official Lebanese response to the French initiative related to restoring stability in the south of the country and stopping the escalation between Hezbollah and Israel.

Hezbollah said that its fighters targeted an Israeli force in the Zarit barracks, attacked gatherings of occupation soldiers in Birkat Risha and the Al-Raheb and Hadab Yarin sites, causing direct casualties, and bombed the Al-Marj and Al-Malikiyah sites.

The party also announced the targeting of the Ruwaisat Al-Alam and Al-Radar sites in the occupied Shebaa Farms and Kfarshouba Hills.

Israeli media reported that rockets were fired from southern Lebanon at Shlomi in the Western Galilee, "without casualties."

Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that sirens were sounding in the Shlomi area in the Upper Galilee, near the border with Lebanon.

On the other hand, Israeli fighters launched raids on the towns of Kafr Kila, Aita al-Shaab, and the surroundings of the towns of Hula, Ramia, Alma al-Shaab, Naqoura, and the Labouneh region. Israeli artillery bombed the surroundings of the towns of Wazzani, Al-Adisa, Hula, Mays Al-Jabal, and Aitaroun.

The official Lebanese media agency reported that the occupation's Israeli warplanes launched a series of raids on southern towns on Friday.

She explained that the Israeli raids included the complete destruction of a three-story house on the outskirts of the town of Alma al-Shaab, and the targeting of a house in the town of Kafr Kila.

Response to the French initiative

These field developments come at a time when the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had delivered the French ambassador in Beirut the official Lebanese response to the French initiative related to restoring stability in the south of the country.

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said that the response considers the French initiative an important step to achieve peace and security in the south.

She indicated that the response included a confirmation of the Lebanese position demanding the full and comprehensive implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

The message stressed that “Lebanon does not seek war,” but wants to stop Israeli violations of its territorial sovereignty on land, air, and sea.

The Lebanese letter added that “once the violations stop,” Lebanon will commit to resuming tripartite meetings with UN peacekeeping forces and Israel to discuss all points of contention and reach an agreement to fully and comprehensively implement Security Council Resolution 1701.

Last February, the Lebanese government received a French paper that included a vision for stopping hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, strengthening the presence of the Lebanese army in the border region, and implementing International Resolution 1701.

The initiative stipulates the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters and their allies from a distance of between 10 and 12 kilometers from the border and the cessation of Israeli air violations.

It also proposes the establishment of a Quartet committee including France, the United States, Israel and Lebanon to monitor the cessation of hostilities.

The US special envoy to Lebanon, Amos Hockstein, is also holding talks with Lebanon to reach a diplomatic solution to the fighting on the border.

Recently, threats have escalated from Israeli officials to expand attacks on Lebanese territory unless Hezbollah fighters withdraw away from the border with northern Israel.

Since the start of the escalation, the Israeli army announced that 10 of its soldiers and 7 civilians were killed by fire originating in Lebanon, while at least 322 people were killed in Lebanon, including 219 Hezbollah fighters and 56 civilians, according to a tally prepared by Agence France-Presse based on party statements and Lebanese sources.

Hezbollah stressed several times that the cessation of its attacks is linked to the occupation’s ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, matched by Israeli assurances that any truce in Gaza “will not distract Israel from its goal of removing Hezbollah” from southern Lebanon.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies