BEIRUT (Dispatches) – Israeli warplanes carried out a series of intense airstrikes along Musaylih Road in southern Lebanon early Saturday, cutting off the main route and plunging large parts of the south into darkness after severing key power lines.
At least 10 strikes hit six excavation and bulldozer depots, destroying more than 300 engineering vehicles and heavy machines, and leaving one person dead and seven wounded.
Electricité du Liban (EDL), Lebanon’s main electricity provider, said the strikes caused severe damage to the national grid. A 66 kV tower was completely destroyed, cutting the Zahrani-Musaylih line and disrupting power to the main 66 kV substations in Sidon and Siblin. 
The unprovoked attack also severed the primary 220 kV Zahrani–Tyre transmission line, forcing the shutdown of several substations across southern Lebanon, including Tyre and Wadi Jilou.
The strikes severely damaged facilities, including buildings and tents, and left the area engulfed in flames, forcing the closure of the Al-Msayleh road, a vital route linking Beirut to southern Lebanon.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri condemned the Israeli strike, calling it a “blatant act of aggression in both form and substance.”
“The Israeli aggression, in its timing, location, and objectives, will not change our convictions or the steadfastness of our people, who once again pay with their lives, homes, and livelihoods for holding onto their land and their legitimate right to a dignified life,” Berri said.
He added that the attack reflects the “inherently aggressive nature of the Israeli entity.” 
“As always, this is not merely an assault on Msayleh, its residents, or its industrial facilities - it is an attack on Lebanon and all its people. It targeted Christians and Muslims alike; blood has mixed with blood. Let us unite from there, for Lebanon, in the face of this aggression.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also denounced the overnight strikes, calling them “blatant Israeli aggression against civilian facilities.” 
He highlighted that the assault came “after the agreement to cease hostilities in Gaza, and after the Palestinian side’s approval of the terms of this agreement,” adding that the attack “raises fundamental challenges for us as Lebanese and for the international community.”
Israeli forces maintain several outposts inside Lebanese territory despite a ceasefire brokered by the United States in November 2024.
The ceasefire followed a year-long cycle of cross-border hostilities that began in October 2023, escalating into a full-scale Israeli invasion by September 2024. The war resulted in over 4,000 deaths and around 17,000 injuries. 
Under the truce, Israel was expected to withdraw fully from southern Lebanon by January but has only partially pulled back troops, maintaining a presence at five border posts.
In addition to the strikes, Israeli drones were reported flying over Beirut and southern suburbs early Saturday, heightening tensions in the capital.
The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk, recently reported that Israeli strikes have killed at least 103 verified civilians in Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect. 
Hezbollah, Lebanon’s powerful resistance and political party, has rejected calls to disarm. Its secretary-general, Sheikh Naim Qassem, reiterated the group’s commitment to retaining its weapons during a recent commemoration for the late Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israel.
Lebanese authorities said on Friday they had foiled an Israeli plot to carry out bombings and assassinations at a commemoration for Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israel, arresting several suspects.