Israel Cuts Electricity, Water Supply to Towns in Southern Lebanon

The Israeli military has cut off electricity and water supplies to a large section of residents in the Marjayoun area and its surroundings in southern Lebanon.

This follows its first attack since the onset of conflict on the electricity distribution station in Marjayoun, which also powers water pumping stations.

This occurs amidst ongoing exchanges of gunfire with Hezbollah, as Israeli forces continue their preparations for combat in Lebanon through the training of reserve forces.

The Israeli shelling inflicted extensive damage on the electricity distribution station located in the Jdeidet Marjayoun plain.

This station supplies several towns in the Marjayoun district, including Jdeidet Marjayoun city, Khiam town, and the surrounding villages like Arqoub.

It also supplies water pumping stations in the region, including the Wazzani pumping station.

Field sources from Jdeidet Marjayoun reported that 15 artillery shells targeted the station, with 12 detonating and causing significant damage, while 3 shells did not explode.

Four shells specifically targeted the largest transformers at the station, causing severe damage and visible oil leakage.

Electricity supply across the entire region has been completely cut off, and water supplies have been disrupted.

Before the attack, the area received nearly four hours of electricity daily, but now relies entirely on subscriptions in Jdeidet Marjayoun and its surroundings.

Lebanon Electricité du Liban (EDL) issued a statement noting that in the latest series of repeated attacks by the Israeli military on EDL networks and facilities, the Marjayoun station was targeted with several artillery shells, causing extensive damage to transformers, cells, high-voltage networks, and their withdrawal from service.

The institution is currently assessing the technical and operational situation of the station to take appropriate measures.

What is striking about this attack is that it marks the first time the Israeli army has shelled a deep area adjacent to supposedly safe zones hosting displaced persons, such as Jdeidet Marjayoun city and Dibbine town near the power station.

This has heightened fears among residents and displaced persons, as previous attacks had targeted the Khiam plain, approximately 5 kilometers away, which are agricultural areas uninhabited by civilians.

This shelling coincides with ongoing exchanges of gunfire. On Sunday, the Israeli army announced that it targeted military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in Ramia, southern Lebanon, on Saturday night. They also intercepted a suspicious aerial target originating from Lebanon after sirens sounded in the north, amid fears of a drone infiltration.

In response, Hezbollah claimed to have targeted Israeli military personnel in the vicinity of the Haddad Yarin site with missile weapons.

They also announced that their fighters launched an aerial attack with a swarm of assault drones on the newly established headquarters of Brigade 91 in Elyte, targeting the positions of its officers and soldiers, resulting in confirmed injuries, in retaliation for attacks on Saturday in Arnon town.

They also claimed responsibility for another targeting of Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of the Roisat Al Alam site in the occupied Kfar Shuba hills with a volcano missile.

Meanwhile, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee announced training exercises conducted by reserve forces in the north.

He stated that the Northern Command continues to raise the readiness and preparedness of forces on the northern front, where Brigade 5 conducted a divisional exercise last week, training movement capability in rugged areas, advancing in mountainous axes, activating fire means, and gathering information.

He further added that a surprise exercise was conducted for the reserve forces of Battalion 920 from Brigade 769, where reserve forces enhanced their readiness for various combat scenarios in protecting northern towns and attacking the enemy.