Published On 4/29/2026
At least 8 people were killed, including 3 Civil Defense members, as a result of Israeli raids that targeted various areas in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.
This widespread field escalation, which Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described as a “new war crime,” comes at a time when the Israeli occupation army continues its strikes and bombing operations in border towns, announcing the destruction of a huge Hezbollah tunnel network, despite the validity of the extended truce.
The Ministry of Health and the General Directorate of Civil Defense in Lebanon reported that 3 rescue personnel were killed while carrying out an ambulance mission for those injured as a result of an Israeli raid that targeted a building in the town of Majdal Zoun in the south of the country.
The same raid resulted in the killing of two other people, in addition to the Lebanese army announcing that two of its soldiers were injured in the same location.
In the same context, the Ministry of Health announced the killing of one person and the injury of 15 others in another raid on the town of Joya, in addition to the killing of two people and the wounding of 13 in an initial toll of a raid that targeted the town of Jabshit.
Convictions
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli attack that claimed the lives of the paramedics, stressing in his statements that this targeting demonstrates Israel’s continued violation of international laws and conventions that guarantee the protection of civilians and rescue teams.
For his part, the Lebanese Prime Minister stressed that deliberately targeting civil defense personnel in the south constitutes a “new war crime.”
On the other hand, the Israeli army claimed that its forces found two Hezbollah tunnels, noting that they were built over a period of about a decade and extend for a distance of two kilometers, and their openings are connected to sites equipped with launching pads directed towards Israeli territory.
The Israeli army explained that its units stationed in the Qantara area used more than 450 tons of explosives to demolish the two tunnels.
In Beirut, the National News Agency confirmed that a “major bombing operation” had occurred, leaving a huge hole in the town of Qantara, while pictures showed thick clouds of smoke rising above the aforementioned area.
An Israeli military source described these tunnels as a “huge underground military facility,” noting that they include an 800-meter-long tunnel and another extending for 1.2 kilometers.
The source claimed that the site was being used as a gathering area for the “Radwan Force,” an elite unit of Hezbollah, directly accusing Iran, which supports the party, of designing this facility.
Continuing escalation
This field tension coincides with the entry into force of a 10-day ceasefire agreement on April 17, which US President Donald Trump announced on the 23rd of the same month to extend for 3 weeks.
Under the text of the agreement published by the US State Department, Israel retains the freedom to take all necessary measures to defend itself against attacks.
Despite this, the Israeli occupation forces continued their attacks, demolitions and bombings of border towns, announcing the establishment of what they called a “yellow line” separating dozens of villages from the rest of the areas, while Hezbollah continues to announce targeting Israeli forces and launching drones and missiles towards northern Israel.
In a context related to military operations, the Israeli army sent urgent warnings to the residents of more than 10 villages located north of the “yellow line” to evacuate them and head north, citing violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah.
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the party’s missiles and drones still constitute a major challenge, vowing to continue military operations in Lebanon.
However, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar claimed, in a joint press conference with his Serbian counterpart, that his country has no ambitions in Lebanese territory, claiming that the military presence aims only to protect citizens until Hezbollah and other organizations are dismantled.
The spark of war spread to Lebanon on March 2, following a US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, which resulted in the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, prompting Hezbollah to launch missiles towards Israel, and the latter responded with a massive air strike campaign and a ground invasion of the areas adjacent to its borders.
According to Lebanese Ministry of Health data issued on Tuesday, the total toll of Israeli strikes since the outbreak of the war reached 2,534 dead and 7,863 wounded, while the Israeli army acknowledged the killing of 16 of its soldiers in all battles inside Lebanon.
