The Israeli army destroyed another key bridge over the Litani River in southern Lebanon, bringing the total number of crossings attacked to eight and isolating large areas in the south amid a widening offensive, Anadolu reports.

The attack on the Qasmiyeh sea bridge coincided with calls from families seeking internationally supervised evacuation, as the destruction of vital crossings has tightened a siege in growth in the region.

The state-run national news agency said the Israeli military carried out a violent airstrike that destroyed the Qasmiyeh sea bridge on Wednesday. The Lebanese army said Wednesday on the American social media platform X that it evacuated the bridge in the city of Tire after receiving an Israeli threat to target it.

Families living south of the Litani River have called for an evacuation under international auspices, saying the area now faces near-total isolation after the destruction of the Qasmiyeh Bridge and other key crossings, which has cut off transport routes and left only limited support to the Bargaz Bridge, an Anadolu journalist said.

The Bargaz Bridge is the last remaining crossing over the Litani River in southern Lebanon and stretches inland, connecting the settlements of Hasbaya and Hazin.

Due to its location, the bridge does not serve as a practical alternative for most residents, especially those in coastal areas such as Tyre, as reaching it requires long detours along damaged or broken roads. insecurity, limiting the mobility of civilians.

The destruction of the bridge has effectively separated the city of Tire and Sidon, with most of the crossings connecting northern and southern Lebanon now out of order, leaving only the Barghazi Bridge functional.

The Qasmiyeh bridge is one of the most strategic crossings in southern Lebanon, connecting the western, central and eastern sectors and serving as a key route for people, vehicles and goods. It had previously suffered damage from Israeli airstrikes before being completely destroyed.

The Litani River runs the length of Lebanon, with nine major bridges connecting its banks from Lake Qaraoun to the Mediterranean. Seven of these bridges are in the south, including four main crossings: Qasmiyeh, Khardali, Qaqqaiyat and Tayr Falsiyeh, in addition to secondary bridges such as old Qasmiyeh, Bargaz and Zrariyeh while two bridges are located in the western Bekaa region.

With Israel targeting these crossings, only the Bargaz bridge remains functional, connecting Hasbayan and Hazin while the roads leading to the Khardal bridge have been damaged by attacks. The escalation comes a day after the US and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday brokered by Pakistan as a step towards a final deal to end a war launched by Washington and Tel Aviv against Tehran on February 28 that has left thousands dead and wounded. While Islamabad and Tehran said the ceasefire includes Lebanon, Washington and Tel Aviv denied this. the Israeli military launched a massive wave of deadly airstrikes on Wednesday, killing 254 people and injuring 1,165, according to Lebanon’s Civil Defense.

The expanded Israeli offensive in Lebanon since March 2 has killed 1,739 people and injured 5,873 others, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

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Source: prizrenpost