ALBAWABA - Israel carried out airstrikes on two targets in Damascus, Syria, and started a large military operation in southern Lebanon in a dramatic escalation that claimed at least 20 lives. The events signify a significant escalation of the region's ongoing war.
Israeli soldiers used three major axes to push into southern Lebanon, getting as close to the border as 4 kilometers in the western sector, close to the town of Shamaa. By dusk, Israeli soldiers were forced to withdraw after clashes with Hezbollah militants. Israeli airstrikes on the region were also part of the operation, which was dubbed the "largest ground incursion" in Lebanon to date.
Lisa Johnson, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, met with Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri to reaffirm the continuation of U.S. mediation under the leadership of Presidential Envoy Amos Hochstein. Johnson underlined that the foundation previously established between Hochstein and Berri continues to be a vital component of U.S. diplomatic endeavors. The U.S. is reportedly considering other options as well, but no hasty decisions are being made.
According to Syrian official media, Israeli airstrikes hit a Palestinian Islamic Jihad-affiliated location in Qudsaya, a suburb of Damascus, and the Mazzeh district in Damascus. One of the attacks, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, struck an apartment in a three-story residential structure close to the Saraya Roundabout in Mazzeh Villas. A residential structure next to the Sahaba Mosque in Qudsaya was the target of another attack, which caused significant damage and many casualties.
