Israeli warplanes executed two airstrikes in the Gazaia area south of the city of Sidon for the first time since the outbreak of the war along the southern border, targeting a warehouse linked to a generator manufacturing plant and an iron manufacturing facility. Columns of smoke were observed rising over the area. The sounds of the airstrikes echoed throughout the city of Sidon and its refugee camps, causing panic among residents, especially as recent Israeli strikes have crossed the southern border.
In response to the incident, Israeli military spokesperson Avichai Adraee announced that Hezbollah storage facilities near Sidon had been targeted. He indicated via the platform "X" that the bombing "was in response to the explosion of an enemy aerial piece discovered near the Tiberias area earlier today" and confirmed that "we will continue to operate vigorously in response to Hezbollah's assaults."
Israeli army radio reported that "the army is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in the Gazaia attack near Sidon." Meanwhile, the owner of the targeted building in Gazaia, Mohammad Layla, denied that the building was a Hezbollah warehouse or had any connection to the organization, stating that it housed his company specializing in generator manufacturing.
Israeli reconnaissance aircraft flew over Sidon and the Chouf region at low altitude, while reports indicated that 14 people were injured, most of whom were Syrian and Palestinian workers, as a result of the Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon. Two members of the Civil Defense within the "Islamic Scout Movement" were also injured while participating in efforts to extinguish the fires in the warehouse.
The central operations room of the Civil Defense in the "Islamic Scout Movement" announced in a statement that "Civil Defense personnel in the organization participated in rescue and firefighting operations and debris removal following the Israeli strike on Gazaia." Several injuries were reported to have been transported to hospitals in the area.
