Israeli bombs flatten villages in Lebanon

Images from private satellite operator Planet Labs PBC, taken on June 5 and analyzed by Reuters, show at least 64 destroyed sites in the village of Aita al-Shaab. Some sites housed more than one building.

Located in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah enjoys strong support from many Shi'ite Muslims, the hilltop village of Aita al-Shaab overlooking Israel is considered by experts to be Hezbollah's first line of defense against Israel.

Satellite image of the village of Aita al-Shaab in Lebanon near the Israeli border, taken on October 23, 2023 (top), and the same area taken on June 5 (bottom). Photo: Planet Labs

Hashem Haidar, head of the regional development agency for the South Lebanon Council government , said the village, just 1km from the border, was one of the most heavily bombed by Israel. The bombing campaign has left a border area in Lebanon “unfit for habitation”.

"The village center was devastated, not only were the buildings destroyed by the bombs, but the surrounding buildings were also beyond repair," said Aita al-Shaab mayor Mohamed Srour.

Most of the village's 13,500 residents fled in October, he added, when Israel began striking nearby buildings and forests.

The Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah targets in the Aita al-Shaab area during the conflict. Israeli military spokesman Nir Dinar said Israel was acting in self-defense.

Dinar said Hezbollah had turned the area into "uninhabitable" by hiding in civilian buildings and launching unprovoked attacks that turned Israeli villages into "ghost towns".

"Israel is attacking military targets, and their hiding inside civilian infrastructure is Hezbollah's decision," Dinar said. The Israeli military said Hezbollah has stepped up attacks, firing more than 4,800 rockets into northern Israel, "killing civilians and displacing tens of thousands."

Researcher Andreas Krieg of King's College London said the structural damage in Aita al-Shaab was caused by long-range bombs dropped by fighter jets or drones. He said images of the attacks showed bombs weighing up to 2,000 lbs (900 kg) were dropped.

In the current clashes, Hezbollah has claimed to have struck targets just across the border from Aita al-Shaab, including the Israeli village of Shtula 1.9 km away and surrounding areas.

Satellite imagery of the village of Shtula and nearby Israeli villages on June 5 showed no apparent damage to buildings. The Israeli Defense Ministry said 60 homes in Shutla were damaged, including 11 severely.

Across northern Israel, about 2,000 buildings were damaged, the country's tax authority said. Across the border, about 2,700 homes were completely destroyed and another 22,000 were damaged. Fires caused by the fighting have affected hundreds of hectares of farmland and forest on both sides of the border, officials said.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bom-cua-israel-san-phang-nhieu-vung-lang-mac-o-lebanon-post301386.html