29 killed in 84 Israeli attacks on Lebanon. And Hezbollah responds
On Thursday, April 30, Israel carried out one of the heaviest waves of shelling since the start of the truce on April 17, through 84 air and artillery attacks that killed 29 people and wounded 33 others in different areas of Lebanese territory
Lebanese media sources said that Israeli warplanes and drones launched more than 70 raids on the districts of Tyre and Bint Jbeil, in conjunction with artillery shelling that affected several towns, and the sources talked about the widespread destruction of houses and infrastructure in dozens of villages, in a scene that reminds us of previous stages of the confrontation, especially during the 2023-2024 war, according to them.
Hezbollah expands response
On the other hand, Hezbollah announced that it had carried out 12 attacks, including 11 by drones, targeting Israeli positions in southern Lebanon and northern occupied Palestine. The party said that its operations included targeting 5 concentrations of soldiers in Balat, Shama, Mays al-Jabal, Taybeh and Qantara, destroying 4 Merkava tanks in Qantara and Bint Jbeil, striking a Hummer vehicle in Bayada, targeting a self-propelled gun south of Yarin, and shooting down an Israeli Hormuz 450 drone over Nabatieh.
The party stressed that its operations come "in defense of Lebanon and its people," indicating that the response will continue as long as Israeli violations continue.
Israeli casualties and an official blackout
The Israeli army admitted that one soldier was killed and another was seriously wounded in Qantara, raising the death toll since March 2 to 17 soldiers, and 12 soldiers were wounded in Shomra by a booby-trapped drone, before later announcing that a female officer and another soldier were wounded in a similar attack.
Hebrew media reported "urgent investigations" into the group's use of fiber-optic drones, a technology Israel says it has difficulty intercepting and considers the "greatest threat" to its forces in the south.
The Israeli army acknowledged that a drone belonging to it was shot down after it was targeted by a surface-to-air missile, stressing that "there are no fears of leaking information," in an attempt to contain concern within the military establishment.
Washington says Lebanon faces 'opportunity to seize'
"A direct meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under the auspices of (US President Donald) Trump would give Lebanon the opportunity to obtain concrete guarantees of its full sovereignty, secure humanitarian support and reconstruction, and fully restore the authority of the Lebanese state over its entire territory, under a guarantee from the United States," the US embassy in Beirut said.
The U.S. Embassy said in a statement on Thursday (April 30) that Lebanon "stands at a crossroads, and its people have a historic opportunity to restore their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign and independent state."
"Direct engagement between Lebanon and Israel, two neighboring countries that should not have been at war in the first place, could mark the beginning of a national renaissance," the embassy said.
"The extension of the cessation of hostilities, which was achieved at the personal request of President Trump, has provided Lebanon with space and opportunity to put all of its legitimate demands on the table, with the full attention of the U.S. government," she added.
The US embassy described the negotiations as "a moment for Lebanon to decide its own destiny, a fate that belongs to all its children", expressing the US readiness to stand by Lebanon "as it seizes an opportunity because the time for hesitation is over".
Salam: Negotiations are contingent on a ceasefire
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reiterated that the priority for the ceasefire is to start negotiations with Israel, this came in a statement about the decisions of the Cabinet meeting held at the Republican Palace in Baabda.
The statement added that Salam explained that "Lebanon has not yet entered into negotiations, and we are still in the stage of preparatory meetings in Washington, and our priority is still a ceasefire so that we can start negotiations (with Israel) aimed at addressing the basis of the conflict between Lebanon and Israel."
The statement said thatLebanese President Joseph Aoun is in contact with Lebanon's ambassador to Washington, Ambassador Nada Hamada Moawad, to urge her to work continuously with the US administration to pressure Israel to abide by the ceasefire.
On April 17, a truce began in Lebanon for ten days, and was then extended until May 17, but Israel violates it daily, through bloody shelling and widespread bombing of houses in dozens of villages in southern Lebanon