The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since October 2023 rose to 2,792, while injuries went up to 12,772, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported on Tuesday.
The Israeli forces struck Hezbollah targets in multiple locations on Tuesday. In response, Hezbollah launched attacks against the Israeli military.
The Israel Defense Forces stated that they had discovered and destroyed a Hezbollah command center in southern Lebanon. They also discovered a large amount of explosives in an underground shelter, IDF said.
Lebanese military sources said the Israeli military on Tuesday conducted over 50 airstrikes on around 30 villages, towns and cities in southern Lebanon.
The sources, who spoke anonymously, added that the most intense strike occurred in the Saida neighborhood of the southern city of Sidon, where three buildings were targeted, resulting in six deaths and 37 injuries, the majority of whom were displaced individuals.
Israeli warplanes also conducted three airstrikes on the border road connecting Lebanon and Syria with six air-to-ground missiles, impeding the movement of pedestrians traveling in both directions between the two countries, said the sources.
Clashes are still going on between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces that managed to infiltrate Lebanon's southeastern village of Khiam, according to the sources.
Heavy machine guns, artillery shells, and rockets are being used in the clashes, while Israeli warplanes are carrying out intensive raids on the center of the village, they added, noting that following the Israeli advance into Khiam, contact was lost with 17 Lebanese civilians living in one of its houses.
Hezbollah said Tuesday in separate statements that its fighters attacked Israeli headquarters and sites with missiles and drones, including the kibbutzim of Snir, Dafna, Dan and the moshavim of Zar'it and Beit Hillel, all located in northern Israel, as well as the Israeli town of Ma'alot.
It added that an Israeli Hermes 900 drone was shot down in the airspace of the southeastern Lebanese town of Marjeyoun.
Lebanese death toll from Israeli attacks rises to 2,792
China supports the Security Council in using all options in its toolbox to take further actions for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Middle East, said Permanent Representative to the United Nations Fu Cong on Tuesday.
Speaking at the UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East, Including the Palestinian Question, Fu said that Gaza and the Middle East as a whole are experiencing worsening dilemma, elusive peace prospects, and a looming all-out war. The Security Council should act immediately on the pressing issues, with a view to promoting ceasefire, saving lives, and restoring peace.
An immediate and permanent ceasefire is the prerequisite for saving lives and preventing further deterioration of the situation, and there is no justification for any delay, said Fu.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been providing relief in accordance with its mandate from the General Assembly. It is the backbone of humanitarian assistance in Gaza. The Israeli Knesset, in total disregard of the strong opposition of the international community, passed two bills in an attempt to restrict and close the UNRWA. China strong condemns it, said Fu.
"Closing the Agency would be a new round of collective punishment of several million of Palestinian refugees in the region, and would severely affect the humanitarian situation, security, and stability in the region. We demand Israel to stop advancing and revoke the relevant bills and ensure the dignity, safety, and facilitation for the work of UN humanitarian agencies, including the UNRWA," said Fu.
The United States has announced that it would reinvigorate ceasefire negotiations. China hopes that the negotiations will not fall into the weird cycle of marking time as it has been seen in the past few months. Nor should they become a pretext for prolonging and expanding the fighting. The relevant diplomatic efforts should not be used as an excuse to obstruct the Council actions. China supports the Security Council in using all options in its toolbox to take further actions for a ceasefire, said Fu.
"In the current context, certain countries are continuing their massive supply of weapons to Israel. Whether such acts would be conducive to realizing the objectives of the Council resolutions or not is a matter that must be taken seriously. We hope that countries concerned will take seriously the grave consequence of their massive supply of weapons and stop fueling the flames of military adventures," said Fu.
China supports Security Council taking further efforts for ceasefire: envoy
