Israeli jets strike two critical bridges, blocking direct access at entrance to South Lebanon

ISRAELI AIRCRAFT HAVE continued their bombardment of Lebanon with Beirut and other locations hit today – the jets have also bombed two critical bridges over a major river blocking direct routes into the south of the country. 

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed they struck two bridges in a press statement this afternoon.

The crossings span the Litani River, which is the de facto entrance to South Lebanon, where approximately 300 Irish troops are based as peacekeepers with the UN Interim Force in lebanon. The IDF had told residents to flee north of that line. 

Sources have said that the bombings of the bridges do block access routes but there are alternative, much longer roads, for the Irish to take. These are being monitored by the Irish Defence Forces. 

In its statement on Telegram the IDF claimed the two bridges were being used by Hezbollah to allegedly transfer weapons and rocket launchers from northern Lebanon to southern Lebanon.

As revealed by The Journal the IDF were spotted by Irish troops inside Lebanese territory near their post a short distance from the town of Aitaroun. The post was UNP 6-52 which is located on the international demarcation known as the Blue Line, near the Lebanese town of Maroun el Ras and the Israeli town of Avivim. 

The IDF has now confirmed it is launching “limited ground operations” in the south. It has been active at several locations across the area, most notably in Khiam to the East.  

The bombings of the capital Beirut continued unabated today with Lebanese Government officials reporting a death toll of at least 12 people. Most of the targeting is focused on the tightly packed southern suburbs of the city near Dahiyeh which is associated with Hezbollah.

While Israel and America attacked Iran, the Israelis began hitting Lebanon on 2 March, following rocket launches by Hezbollah into Israel. The militant group is a member of the so-called Axis of Resistance – an Iran backed disparate group of militant groups across the Middle East. 

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Figures released by the Lebanese Government estimate that just less than 1,000 people have been killed in the strikes and more than a million have been displaced. Many of the people are sleeping in tents on streets in Beirut and in other towns and cities. 

A focus of the strikes in the south have been around the towns of Tyre, Sidon and Nabatieh. The Irish are based further south near the towns of At Tiri and Bint Jbeil – that area has also been struck in recent days.   

There have also been strikes against a fuel company, which IDF claims is part of a financing wing of Hezbollah. 

Late Tuesday, the IDF had issued an evacuation order for most of the city of Tyre as well as swathes of surrounding areas, sending people fleeing northwards.

In a statement UNIFIL spoke of the “worrying deterioration” in the situation between Lebanon and Israel.

It said that heavy exchanges of fire, intensified air and ground activity, and increased presence of Israeli forces inside Lebanese territory “are deeply concerning developments”.

“Also concerning are renewed “evacuation orders” from conflicting actors affecting civilians on both sides of the Blue Line.

“Heightened rhetoric further exacerbates an already fragile situation. UNIFIL reiterates its call to the parties to recommit to Security Council Resolution 1701 and to a full cessation of hostilities as the only viable path toward lasting stability,” the statement said. 

The UN said that its UNIFIL peacekeepers remain in position and are reporting violations of 1701, which is the resolution that gives power to the mission.

With reporting from AFP.

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