Israeli air strikes hit Lebanon with damage in the south and east

In Sidon, Lebanon’s third-largest city, a strike around 1 a.m. flattened an unoccupied three-storey commercial building in a coastal district of workshops and garages. Rescue teams searched the rubble and at least one person was taken away by ambulance, though no deaths were confirmed. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strikes, saying they undermined efforts to calm tensions and restore state authority in areas long controlled by Hezbollah. Israel’s military said it targeted weapons storage sites linked to Hezbollah and Hamas, arguing the groups operate from civilian areas. The strikes come days before Lebanon’s army chief is due to brief the government on plans to disarm Hezbollah near the Israeli border, a pledge made under a ceasefire reached more than a year ago.

By Africanews