Amid widespread condemnation, Israeli army demolishes two mosques in southern Lebanon

Video footage, exclusive to Al Jazeera news channel, showed Israeli soldiers documenting the demolition of two mosques in villages in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border. The footage included scenes of soldiers counting down from six to one before detonating the mosque, with thick smoke rising from the site following the explosion.

Reports indicate that the operations included the destruction of the mosque in the town of Yaroun in the Bint Jbeil district and the mosque in the town of Al-Dhahira, as part of a series of explosions targeting specific buildings in the border area.

These incidents come as part of an expanded Israeli strategy that has sparked widespread criticism, with previous Israeli forces footage documenting the destruction of homes, mosques, and schools in Gaza, further fueling local and international condemnation over the targeting of religious and civilian structures.

Meanwhile, human rights organizations have denounced this escalation, stating that targeting mosques and civilian facilities constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law, exacerbating the humanitarian situation in areas affected by military operations.