Israel strikes near Sidon in serious Lebanon escalation

The latest strikes hit an area some 30 kilometers from the Israel-Lebanon border, where Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in tit-for-tat exchanges since last October.
Smoke billows following two Israeli air raids (L and R) in the southern Lebanese city town of Ghaziyeh.
Smoke billows following two Israeli air raids (L and R) in the southern Lebanese city town of Ghaziyeh, around 30 kilometers (around 18 miles) from the border with Israel, on Feb. 19, 2024. - MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images
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Beatrice Farhat
@beatricefarhat

Israel on Monday launched at least two airstrikes on the town of Ghaziyeh, on the outskirts of Lebanon's southern city of Sidon, for the first time since the beginning of cross-border hostilities with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

One of the strikes hit a warehouse used to manufacture tires and generators. The other fell in the vicinity of a stone marble factory. Both caused heavy damage and fires, according to the Lebanese state-run National News Agency.

Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing in the sky amid the sound of explosions.

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