Israeli strike kills 5 rescue workers in south Lebanon, Lebanese authorities say

An Israeli strike killed five emergency workers in southern Lebanon, the health ministry said on Thursday, as Israel pressed its major offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah and warned Lebanese civilians in the south not to return home.

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, said contacts were under way between the United States and France with the aim of reviving a ceasefire, an apparent reference to diplomatic efforts to clinch a truce which Israel rejected last month. There was no immediate comment from Washington or Paris.

The Middle East remained on high alert for further escalation of the conflict that has swept through the region since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel a year ago, awaiting Israel’s response to an Iranian missile strike last week.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday about potential Israeli retaliation against Iran, in a call both sides described as positive.

Israel says its Lebanon offensive aims to secure the return home of tens of thousands of Israelis who evacuated northern Israel due to cross-border rockets launched by Hezbollah, which opened fire a year ago to support Hamas in Gaza.

The Lebanese health ministry said the Israeli strike overnight hit a civil defence centre in the village of Derdghaiya, some 10 km (6 miles) from the border, killing five paramedics and rescue workers.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,100 people in Lebanon over the last year, the vast majority of them since Sept. 23, when Israel dramatically scaled up its assault with widespread airstrikes before later sending soldiers in on the ground. The toll does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Israel reported the death of a 12th soldier in ground operations in south Lebanon on Thursday.

Mikati, in a statement on X, said contacts are “taking place between the United States and France with the aim of reviving a ceasefire declaration for a specific period in order to resume the search for political solutions”.

Last month, the United States, France and other states called for a 21-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah.

ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH TRADE FIRE

The Israeli military said on Thursday that airstrikes overnight and the day before targeted weapons storage facilities in Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon, where it said Hezbollah infrastructure was struck.

Smoke rose over Beirut on Thursday morning after airstrikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs. Residents of the once bustling area have largely fled, among more than 1 million people displaced.

The Israeli military told residents of southern Lebanon they were “prohibited from returning to the homes they have evacuated in the villages and towns until further notice for their safety”, in a post on X.

Israel has dealt Hezbollah stunning blows over the last three weeks – including the assassination of its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

But Hezbollah has sustained its rocket attacks on Israel, and the Israeli military said around 40 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israel, some of which were intercepted, and several fell in the area of the upper Galilee.

Conflict has spread around the region since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, drawing in Iraqi, Yemeni and Lebanese groups and fuelling fears of an even bigger war.

BIDEN-NETANYAHU CALL

Biden urged Netanyahu to minimise civilian harm in Lebanon, the White House said, in a “direct and very productive” 30-minute call on Wednesday about potential Israeli retaliation against Iran.

Israel has promised that Iran will pay for last week’s missile attack, which caused little damage. Tehran has said any retaliation would be met with vast destruction.

Biden last week made comments discouraging Israel from striking Iranian oil fields and said he would not support Israel striking Iranian nuclear sites.

Some analysts say Israel is most likely to respond to Iran’s Oct. 1 attack by targeting Iranian military installations, especially those that produce ballistic missiles like the ones used in the attack. It could also seek to destroy Iranian air defence systems and missile-launching facilities.