Israel dynamites houses in the Lebanese border villages of Maroun el-Ras, Aïtaroun and Yaroun

The Israeli army proceeded on Friday to destroy homes with explosives in Maroun el-Ras, Yaroun and Aïtaroun, Lebanese villages bordering Israel in the Bint Jbeil caza, reports the National Information Agency (ANI, official), confirmed by our correspondent in South Lebanon, Mountasser Abdallah.

The fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli army has focused in recent days around Maroun el-Ras, as part of the Israeli ground offensive in South Lebanon, launched on September 30. The first clashes between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah fighters actually took place on October 3, notably in Yaroun. The first fighting around Aïtaroun began on October 23, according to press releases published by the Shiite party.

Entire neighborhoods have been razed in thirty-seven villages in South Lebanon due to the intensification of fighting, according to figures given Tuesday by ANI. “More than one street and one neighborhood were razed in 37 villages along with their houses, and more than 40,000 homes were completely destroyed in a three-kilometer-deep area stretching from Naqoura (Tyr ) on the outskirts of Khiam (Marjeyoun),” according to the agency.

The director of research at the Lebanese polling institute Information International, Mohammad Chamseddine, said Tuesday, in an interview with the pan-Arab daily al-Chark al-Awsat, that no less than 29 villages were “completely destroyed” by Israel, on a strip of 120 km going from the region of Naqoura (caza de Tyr) to Chebaa (caza de Hasbaya). The expert cites in particular the localities of Aïta el-Chaab, Kfar Kila, Adaïssé, Houla, Dhaïra, Marwahine, Mhaibib and Khiam, which were completely destroyed, as well as some 25,000 houses, he added.