Israeli Air Force destroys Hezbollah fuel depots on Syrian border

Israeli Air Force fighter jets have conducted a raid on an industrial area in the town of al-Qusayr, located on the border with Lebanon, targeting fuel depots belonging to Hezbollah.

At least seven missile strikes were launched against the sites, resulting in thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky above the town, Caliber.Az reports per Saudi media.

The report noted that the Israeli Air Force last targeted military installations belonging to Shiite forces in al-Qusayr on October 31, during which ammunition depots were destroyed.

The previous airstrike resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals, including eight civilians.

Notably, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, over 3,000 people have lost their lives in the 13 months of ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israeli forces along the border.

The ministry reported late on November 4 that the death toll stands at 3,002, with 13,492 individuals injured since the onset of Israel's "aggression" against Lebanon. Among the deceased, there were 589 women and at least 185 children.

While Israel asserts that it has killed hundreds of Hezbollah fighters, witnesses and independent reports indicate a significant number of civilian casualties resulting from extensive and indiscriminate Israeli air strikes and artillery bombardments.

UNICEF highlighted the dire situation for children, stating that at least one child has been killed daily in the past month.

Catherine Russell, UNICEF's executive director, noted that since October 4, at least one child has died and ten others have been injured each day, with many surviving children suffering severe emotional distress from the ongoing violence.

Thus, the humanitarian crisis continues to escalate, with approximately 1.2 million of Lebanon’s 5.8 million residents displaced from their homes, particularly in cities, towns, and neighbourhoods in Beirut, which has been heavily bombed. 

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported that between 400 and 600 people from Lebanon have been crossing into Iraq daily over the past week, primarily Lebanese, but with increasing numbers of Syrians and Palestinians.

Since the fighting intensified in September, at least 28,350 refugees from Lebanon have entered Iraq, mostly settling in Najaf and Karbala.

By Aghakazim Guliyev