Summary of this article
At least seven people were killed in targeted Israeli airstrikes across several southern Lebanese villages on Saturday.
The Israeli military used bulldozers to destroy parts of a Catholic convent in Yaroun, sparking a dispute with Church officials.
Hostilities continue despite a 17 April ceasefire as Israel targets what it identifies as Hezbollah infrastructure in border towns.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven people across southern Lebanon on Saturday, as the Israeli military utilised bulldozers to demolish sections of a Catholic convent in the border village of Yaroun.
The escalations occurred despite a ceasefire being in place since 17 April. In response to the ongoing hostilities, the Israeli military issued fresh evacuation orders for residents in nine southern Lebanese villages.
In Yaroun, Israeli forces used heavy machinery to destroy parts of a Catholic convent. Gladys Sabbagh, superior general of the Basilian Salvatorian Sisters, told the Associated Press (AP) that the compound included a school—closed since the 2006 conflict—and a clinic that had recently been relocated to Rmeich.
“What we heard is that it was destroyed with bulldozers,” Sabbagh said. She noted that the two nuns residing there had already fled the fighting.
The Israeli military claimed the damage occurred during operations to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure. A military statement asserted that the building appeared to be a house without religious markings and that further damage was halted once its affiliation with the church was identified. They further alleged that Hezbollah had previously used the site to launch rockets.
The Catholic Church in Lebanon has firmly rejected these claims. Rev. Abdo Abou Kassm, director of the Catholic Centre for Information, stated that the compound was not a military base. “We are against all practices against places of worship and churches. These are places to spread peace, love and education,” he said.
This incident follows recent international condemnation after images surfaced of an Israeli soldier using an axe against a statue of Jesus in the village of Debel.
The violence extended to several other villages on Saturday. According to the state-run National News Agency, an airstrike on a vehicle in Kfar Dajal killed two people, while three died in a strike on a home in Lwaizeh. Two additional fatalities were reported in Shoukin.
As reported by AP, Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Ella Waweya stated that the air force conducted approximately 50 strikes over a 24-hour period, targeting Hezbollah members and assets. Conversely, Hezbollah claimed to have launched a drone strike against Israeli troops stationed in a house in the coastal village of Bayed.
In addition to targeted strikes, the Israeli military has been systematically levelling border neighbourhoods. On Friday, footage was released showing the destruction of a soccer stadium in Bint Jbeil. The military claimed the site was booby-trapped.
The war began on 2 March, following Hezbollah rocket fire into northern Israel. This followed the commencement of a conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran two days prior. Since then, Israel has launched a ground invasion and captured numerous border towns.
While the two nations have engaged in their first direct talks in over 30 years, the conflict remains intense. AP reported that the Lebanese Health Ministry has recorded 2,659 deaths and 8,183 injuries since the outbreak of hostilities two months ago. A US-brokered ceasefire, initially declared on 17 April, was recently extended by three weeks but has failed to halt the violence.
