Israel conducts raid along south Lebanon's Litani river

BEIRUT: The Israeli military said on Tuesday its troops had conducted a days-long raid in the area of the Litani river in south Lebanon, where exchanges of fire with Hezbollah persist despite a ceasefire. In a statement, the military said that soldiers had been operating south of the Israeli-declared 'yellow line' that runs around 10 kilometres north of the border and where Israeli forces continue to be stationed.
Israeli media reported that troops had gone beyond the Litani river and operated on the outskirts of the town of Zawtar Al Sharqiyah. When asked, the Israeli military said it was unable to confirm whether troops had crossed the Litani, but it published photos from the operation showing soldiers walking along a bridge traversing a river. Other photos published by the military showed tanks and soldiers operating along the riverbank.
Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed 380 people since a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war began on April 17, Lebanon's Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine told a press conference on Tuesday. Lebanon's civil defence agency said two of its personnel were killed in an Israeli strike on Tuesday while they were on duty in the country's south. The personnel were killed in 'an Israeli air strike that targeted them while they were carrying out a rescue mission' after a previous strike in the city of Nabatieh, a civil defence statement said.
The overall toll in Israeli strikes since the war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2 has reached 2,882 people including 279 women and 200 children, he added. Since the ceasefire, '380 people have been killed and 1,122 wounded,' Nassereddine said. A ministry official said that the toll includes 39 women and 22 children.

Under the terms of the truce released by Washington, Israel reserves the right to act against 'planned, imminent or ongoing attacks'. Some 108 emergency and health workers are among the overall death toll while 249 others have been wounded and '16 hospitals have been damaged' since the start of the conflict, Nassereddine said. 'It's a massacre... there are no armed men or fighters in these (ambulance) vehicles, just medical equipment and wounded, contrary to what Israel says,' he added.
Lebanon's civil defence agency said two of its personnel were killed in an Israeli strike on Tuesday while they were on duty in the country's south. Qassem called for a 'withdrawal from the direct negotiations, which are pure gains for Israel and free concessions by the Lebanese authorities'. 'We are facing an Israeli-American aggression that wants to subjugate our country of Lebanon,' Qassem said in the statement. 'We will not surrender and we will continue to defend Lebanon and its people, however long it takes and however great the sacrifices,' he said.
Israel has accused Hezbollah of using ambulances and medical facilities for military purposes, an accusation the group denies. Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East conflict on March 2 when it launched rockets at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with massive strikes and a ground invasion in the country's south. The Lebanese Hezbollah says its fighters are included in the government tolls. Lebanese leaders on Monday urged the United States to pressure Israel to halt its attacks, which have intensified in recent days. The appeal came as Lebanese and Israeli representatives are set to meet later this week in Washington for a third round of direct talks. — AFP