BEIRUT: Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lebanese Parliament, MP Fadi Alama, revealed that “the number of attacks on South Lebanon has exceeded 5,736 until July 15, resulting in 538 martyrs and 1,850 wounded.”
The Foreign Affairs Committee met on Wednesday with several ambassadors from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Britain and Canada to present the results of ongoing Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon in preparation for the government's “work in the post-ceasefire phase”. .”
MP Alam said that “representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations were surprised when we talked about 1,800 hectares deliberately burned by the Israeli enemy. They were also surprised by the number of target schools and the number of students who could not complete their education and moved elsewhere. In addition, they were informed of 28,000 new families displaced from areas under daily attack.
The MP said there is an urgent need for the government to come up with a plan and road map as soon as possible.
MP Wael Abu Faour, a member of the parliament's foreign affairs committee, said that “the human, health, urban, agricultural and environmental losses due to Israeli attacks have become enormous. Initial estimates by Lebanese institutions suggest the cost so far is around two billion dollars, in addition to other damages and losses.
Abu Faour said: “This is a new challenge for the Lebanese state that needs to be addressed in Lebanese Arab and international relations. The state is failing and unable to bear such responsibility, but at the same time it cannot abdicate its responsibility to its citizens regardless of any controversial local political considerations regarding the feasibility or justification of war between some parties.
Fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli army continued on Wednesday. According to Israeli media, “43 settlements were evacuated in the north and more than 1,500 buildings, cars and infrastructure were damaged in the north. In addition, six industrial zones were affected and hundreds of businesses were forced to close due to Hezbollah strikes.
Israel attacked the towns of Kafr Shuba, Tayr Harfa and Hula on Wednesday with airstrikes and artillery shelling. The raid also targeted a house in the town of Kfar Hammam, leading to its destruction. This small village is located in Hasbaya District on the eastern side of Nabatieh Governorate.
Hezbollah has released a new video recorded by a Hudhud drone in Israel that shows footage from inside the Ramat David Air Base, located approximately 50 km from the Lebanese border.
According to Hezbollah, “the footage was taken on Tuesday using a drone.”
A new eight-minute video released by Hezbollah shows several sensitive areas at the base, including aircraft fuel tanks, the 109 Squadron headquarters, the Iron Dome missile defense platform and ammunition depots. It also reveals the location of the headquarters of Squadron 157 and Squadron 105. Hezbollah posted an image of the base commander's office, revealing intricate details of the facility.
This is not the first time Hezbollah has used such tactics. Earlier, the group broadcast aerial footage of critical installations captured by similar drones in Haifa and the Golan Heights.
Israeli media reacted strongly, with one outlet stating: “More than eight minutes of Hezbollah video exposing our vulnerability is a disgrace.
However, the Israeli military downplayed the incident, saying the footage was taken by a drone intended solely for photography and did not affect the operation of the base.
A Hezbollah source linked the timing of the release of the video to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington.
Amid these developments, the Israeli military announced on Wednesday that its “reserve brigade has completed an exercise simulating war scenarios in Lebanon.”
Israel's Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir expressed support for a comprehensive war against Hezbollah, stating, “The sooner the better.
But Israel's ambassador to Russia, Simona Halperin, claimed that while Tel Aviv is prepared for a military confrontation with Lebanon, it still prefers a diplomatic solution.
She emphasized that Israel is not interested in large-scale wars. “We cannot rule out a scenario where Israel could be forced to engage in a full-scale war on the northern front,” she added.
In line with Israel's bellicose rhetoric, the Canadian Embassy in Lebanon has issued a renewed advisory to its citizens.
He urged “Canadians, permanent residents, their spouses and dependent children to heed travel advisories and leave the country while commercial flights are available”.
The embassy emphasized its focus on helping individuals obtain the necessary travel documents and keeping families together during the process.
The escalation comes at a time when thousands of Lebanese expatriates with dual citizenship from Canada, the US and Europe have arrived in Lebanon for summer vacation.
