Israel blows up historic shrine in southern Lebanon

Israeli occupation forces destroyed a historic religious shrine during their incursion into the village of Chamaa in southern Lebanon on Friday night, Lebanese media have reported. Lebanese sources revealed that the occupation forces deliberately rigged explosive charges on what is known as the Shrine of Shimon in Chamaa and completely destroyed it.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the occupation forces withdrew from the hill where the shrine was located due to significant resistance from Hezbollah. A UN peacekeeping site nearby was hit by artillery fire as a result of the bombardments, according to the report.

The UN peacekeeping forces said on Friday that a live 155mm artillery shell struck their headquarters in the western sector but did not explode. UNIFIL reported that Italian peacekeeping forces stationed there dealt with the shell safely, adding that no peacekeeping personnel were harmed in the strike.

Since the start of its ground incursion into southern Lebanon, the occupation forces have blown up and demolished entire villages, employing a scorched earth policy to prevent Hezbollah from operating in areas near the border with the settler-colonial state.

READ: Israeli warplanes target vicinity of 2 churches, hospital in southern Beirut