BEIRUT: One person was killed and eight wounded by Israeli strikes north and south of the Litani River on Monday as hostilities against Lebanon intensified. Israeli authorities said the strikes targeted “Hezbollah military infrastructure,” but residential areas were also hit, causing damage to buildings and neighborhoods.

The escalation unfolded amid reports that Israeli forces had spread chemical substances in areas along the Blue Line that separates Lebanon from Israel, including Lebanese agricultural land, prompting condemnation from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, and the Lebanese Ministry of Environment.

The ministry described the incident as “environmental annihilation aimed at undermining the resilience of southern Lebanon residents.”

In one attack on Monday, an Israeli drone struck a car in Ansariyeh, in the Zahrani area of Sidon district, and killed Hezbollah field commander Abbas Ghadboun, according to messages from the group announcing and mourning his death.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health said four civilians were wounded during the incident. Israel said its operation in the area had targeted “a Hezbollah terrorist.”

Elsewhere, four people were injured when an airstrike hit a vehicle in Al-Qlailah. The Israeli army later issued evacuation warnings to residents of Kfar Tebnit and Ain Qana, ordering them to exit two buildings and the surrounding area because strikes against “Hezbollah military infrastructure” were planned. Residents said about 10 residential buildings in each town were damaged by subsequent airstrikes.

In a separate incident a drone hit a car near Phoenicia University on the Zahrani-Tyre highway.

The latest strikes followed a string of attacks over the preceding 24 hours. On Sunday night, a man called Ali Al-Hadi Al-Haqani was killed by a drone strike in Harouf, Nabatieh district. Another drone hit the car of Ali Daoud Amis from Ebba on the Al-Dweir road. The Israeli military reportedly said he was a member of Hezbollah and had been killed.

The Israeli military also carried out ground activity along the border early on Monday, including a reported infiltration into the outskirts of Ayta ash-Shaab, during which explosives were planted in a house that was later destroyed. The forces also directed bursts of machine gun fire toward the outskirts of Yaroun.

Israeli authorities said the strikes were aimed at Hezbollah members and facilities. They accused the group of violating the Nov. 27, 2024, ceasefire agreement and attempting to rebuild its military capabilities. Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace on Monday extended as far as the outskirts of Baalbek in the east of the country.

Regarding the unidentified chemicals dropped by Israeli aircraft in areas along the Blue Line, the UN Interim Force said it had been informed by the Israeli army that it planned to conduct an aerial operation to drop what Israel described as a non-toxic substance. UNIFIL said its peacekeepers were instructed to keep their distance and remain under cover, forcing the cancellation of more than 10 operations.

UNIFIL said its patrols were unable to conduct their normal activities along about one-third of the Blue Line, and its operations could not resume for more than nine hours. The peacekeepers helped the Lebanese army to collect samples from the affected areas for testing to determine toxicity levels.

UNIFIL said the Israeli operation was “unacceptable” and contrary to the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was adopted by the council in 2006 with the aim of resolving the conflict that year between Israel and Hezbollah.

It added that such “deliberate and planned actions” not only restricted the ability of peacekeepers to carry out their mandate, but potentially endangered their health and the health of civilians.

The UN mission also raised concerns about the possible effects of the substance on agricultural land, and how in the long term it might affect the return of civilians to their homes and livelihoods in affected areas.

It said that this was not the first time Israel had dropped unidentified substances from aircraft onto Lebanese land, and reiterated that Israeli overflights constituted violations of Resolution 1701.

“Any activity that places civilians and peacekeepers at risk is a matter of serious concern,” UNIFIL said. “We again call on the Israeli army to halt such actions and to cooperate with peacekeeping forces in support of the stability we are all striving to achieve.”

The Lebanese Ministry of Environment said it had received reports from the municipality of Aita Al-Shaab and neighboring villages that Israeli planes had sprayed areas with substances suspected to be pesticides.

Environment Minister Tamara El-Zein said she had contacted the commander of the Lebanese army, Gen. Rodolphe Heikal, to request samples be taken at the sprayed sites for testing to determine the nature of the substances, so that appropriate measures can be taken.

If the substances were found to be toxic, El-Zein added, the incident would fit a wider pattern. She said about 9,000 hectares of Lebanese land had been been burned by Israel, using white phosphorus and incendiary munitions, during the most recent conflict with Hezbollah. She described such actions as “environmental destruction aimed at undermining the resilience of residents of the south on their own land, and striking at the foundations of their basic livelihoods.”

Meanwhile, President Joseph Aoun led a delegation on a visit to Madrid on Monday, during which he told Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that Lebanon “attaches great importance” to Spain’s participation in the international conference planned for March 5 in Paris, which aims to boost support for Lebanon’s army and Internal Security Forces.

Lebanon seeks to encourage nations that contribute troops to UNIFIL to maintain the presence of their peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon under bilateral agreements after UNIFIL’s mandate ends in December. The Presidential Palace said that Aoun acknowledged Spain’s large contribution to peacekeeping operations and discussed with Sanchez the country’s willingness to maintain the presence of its troops in southern Lebanon beyond that date.

Sanchez said any decision on extending Spanish deployment after UN peacekeepers depart would be made after discussions with EU partners, and added that Spain supports the steps taken by Lebanese authorities to strengthen the country’s security and stability.

Aoun expressed hope that Spain would work with the EU to press Israeli authorities to halt attacks against Lebanon and implement the terms of the ceasefire agreement, in full compliance with the provisions of Resolution 1701.

The Lebanese President also stressed the need to “clear the areas where the Lebanese army is deployed of the armed presence” of other groups, and extend state authority over these territories. The army requires “military equipment, vehicles and supplies to be able to carry out its tasks,” he added.