Israeli forces crossed into southern Lebanon overnight, killing a municipal employee in a border town raid that prompted Lebanon’s president to order the army to confront any future incursions, state media said on Thursday.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli troops entered the town of Blida around 1:30 a.m. (2330 GMT Wednesday), stormed the town hall and killed Ibrahim Salameh, a municipal worker who had been sleeping inside. The troops withdrew about two-and-a-half hours later.
The Israeli military confirmed its forces operated in the area, saying they fired after identifying “an immediate threat” while destroying Hezbollah infrastructure. The incident was under review, it added.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack as part of “a pattern of Israeli aggression” and said it came just hours after a meeting of the committee monitoring the cessation of hostilities.
He urged the international committee to press Israel to abide by the November 2024 ceasefire agreement and halt its “repeated violations of Lebanese sovereignty.”
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called the incursion “a blatant attack on the institutions and sovereignty of the Lebanese state.”
The Lebanese army has deployed to the area, while the UN peacekeeping mission said it was seeking details of the incident.
Israel has continued limited strikes and ground operations in Lebanon despite the ceasefire that ended fighting with Hezbollah nearly a year ago, saying they are aimed at preventing the group from rebuilding its military infrastructure.
Renewed Israeli strikes test Gaza ceasefire
The overnight raid in Lebanon comes as Israel faces growing pressure over its military actions in Gaza, where strikes have continued despite its stated commitment to a U.S.-backed ceasefire with Hamas.
Palestinian witnesses said Israeli planes carried out at least 10 airstrikes east of Khan Younis on Thursday, while tanks shelled areas east of Gaza City. No casualties were reported.
The Israeli military said it targeted “terrorist infrastructure that posed a threat to troops” in areas it still controls.
The latest strikes follow Israel’s bombardments earlier in the week that Gaza’s health ministry said killed 104 people, including 46 children and 20 women. Israel said it was responding to the death of a soldier killed in an attack near the “yellow line” buffer zone established under the ceasefire.
Hamas denied carrying out the attack, accusing Israel of fabricating pretexts to justify renewed assaults.
Sources close to international mediators said U.S. and regional officials intervened overnight to restore calm as both sides traded blame for violations.
The Gaza ceasefire, in effect since 10 October, is now under its most serious strain yet — and with Israel’s cross-border raid into Lebanon, fears are growing that the fragile calm could unravel into a wider confrontation across multiple fronts.
Ukraine’s domestic security service, the SBU, says it struck a Russian Kilo‑class submarine in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, causing critica...
Washington’s seizure of a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil shows a shift from financial sanctions to direct maritime action, further straining relatio...
Anewz brings you the best videos of the day from around the world covering everything from uplifting events to updates in conflict zones....
At least 37 people have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rain in Morocco's Atlantic coastal province of Safi, Moroccan authorities ...
The European Union’s interest in investing in regional connectivity projects in the South Caucasus, such as the Trump Route for International Peace ...
Ukraine’s domestic security service, the SBU, says it struck a Russian Kilo‑class submarine in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, causing critical damage.
Anewz brings you the best videos of the day from around the world covering everything from uplifting events to updates in conflict zones.
The European Union’s interest in investing in regional connectivity projects in the South Caucasus, such as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is driven by a need for strategic credibility and a tangible foreign policy success, according to a regional expert.
French senators on Monday approved a revised 2026 budget bill that the government warned could worsen the country’s fiscal deficit, setting the stage for tense negotiations between parliament’s two chambers later this week.
Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, has said that Ukraine has not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of children it alleges were taken illegally to Russia, despite the issue being discussed during talks in Istanbul.
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman, detaining all 18 crew members on board.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has offered condolences to President Donald Trump following an ISIS attack near the ancient city of Palmyra that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter, Syrian and U.S. officials said Sunday.
Ukraine’s domestic security service, the SBU, says it struck a Russian Kilo‑class submarine in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, causing critical damage.
Washington’s seizure of a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil shows a shift from financial sanctions to direct maritime action, further straining relations with Caracas and increasing risks for global shipping.
Anewz brings you the best videos of the day from around the world covering everything from uplifting events to updates in conflict zones.
French senators on Monday approved a revised 2026 budget bill that the government warned could worsen the country’s fiscal deficit, setting the stage for tense negotiations between parliament’s two chambers later this week.
Flooding in Bolivia’s eastern Santa Cruz region has killed at least 20 people after an overflowing river swept through multiple communities, authorities said on Monday, with the toll expected to increase as rescue teams reach areas that were previously inaccessible.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment