Israel destroyed the last remaining bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country in strikes on Thursday, according to Lebanese officials reported by Reuters.
The strike comes amid repeated Israeli attacks on bridges and other infrastructure in Lebanon and Israeli warnings for civilians to leave areas south of the Litani River. The strikes came hours before President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire.
What To Know
Videos and photos circulated Thursday of the destroyed Qasmiyeh Bridge over the Litani River, the last remaining bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country. It connects the Lebanese cities of Tyre to Sidon. The bridge is about roughly 20 or so miles from the Israel-Lebanon border.
The targeted strike eliminates a supply line to people in the south of Lebanon. Israel has repeatedly stated that it targets similar infrastructure to prevent Hezbollah from moving weapons and materials across them, however, the Qasmiyeh Bridge has many civilian uses.
A Lebanese security official told Reuters that the bridge was “shattered” and there is no possibility of repairing it.
The strike comes after Israel had already damaged the bridge earlier in March. Since the Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2, at least 91 Lebanese medical workers have been killed by Israel, the ministry said. Lebanese health officials say overall death toll from the war in Lebanon is over 2,167, with 7,000 injured, and more than 1 million displaced.
On Wednesday, Israeli forces said they had struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets across the country in the past 24 hours. Hezbollah said it launched rocket attacks on military targets in northern Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video address Wednesday that he ordered the military to expand its so-called “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon toward the east. Israel has a long history of invading southern Lebanon and militarizing the border area.
What Happens Next
In a Thursday Truth Social post, Trump said the pause in fighting would take effect at 5 p.m. EST on Tuesday, April 21, and follows what he described as productive conversations with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Netanyahu. Those talks were the first direct diplomatic talks between the countries in over three decades.
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