Israel bombs bridges connecting southern Lebanon to the rest of the country

BarcelonaThe Israeli army has begun bombing bridges across the Litani River, which connect southern Lebanon to the rest of the country. Israel, which reiterated its order this morning for the forced displacement of Lebanese residents in the south, aims to push Hezbollah north of the Litani River, thus distancing the Shiite militia from the border and minimizing its ability to attack Israel. Tel Aviv had threatened "major surprises" throughout the day and had already warned that it would attack the bridges "starting at noon." "To prevent the passage of [Hezbollah] reinforcements and combat equipment, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will attack the Litani River crossings starting at noon today," the Israeli army stated this morning in a statement to X in Arabic. The attacks in Lebanon have continued unabated since March 2. Today, Israeli missiles aimed at Lebanon have caused 56 deaths in the country, bringing the total number of civilians killed in Israeli airstrikes to 968 since the resumption of large-scale direct fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Of the total number of dead, 40 were in the healthcare sector, in attacks that hit ambulances, medical centers, and emergency equipment, according to Lebanese government figures. In the last few hours, the exchange of attacks has intensified again, with a series of significant rocket and drone strikes launched last night by Hezbollah against northern Israel. In response, Tel Aviv has stepped up its bombardment of Beirut, which has been almost constant for days. In Israel, the toll after 19 days of war with Iran stands at 15 dead and 3,369 wounded in Iranian airstrikes.