Israel strike on south Lebanon kills one
Lebanese official media said an Israeli strike killed one person in the south on Saturday despite a six-month-old ceasefire, as Israel said it targeted a Hezbollah militant.
The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said a man was killed when an Israeli drone targeted his car as he was heading to pray at a mosque in Deir al-Zahrani, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Israeli border.
Israel has continued to bomb Lebanon despite the November 27 truce that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, including two months of open war.
The Israeli army said the strike killed a regional commander 'of Hezbollah's rocket array.'
It charged that during the conflict, the operative 'advanced numerous projectile attacks... and was involved recently in efforts to reestablish Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure' in south Lebanon.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hezbollah fighters were to pull back north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, and dismantle military infrastructure to its south.
Israel was to withdraw all forces from Lebanon but it has kept troops in five areas it deems 'strategic.'
The Lebanese army has deployed in the south and has been dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
14 hours ago
- Arab News
Fighting back against tobacco industry tricks
The Eastern Mediterranean region is witnessing rising trends in tobacco use among women and adolescents and has recorded the highest smoking rates for boys among all World Health Organization regions. In some countries, smoking rates have reached 43 percent among adolescent boys (aged 13-15 years) and 20 percent among adolescent girls. This is no coincidence. It is a calculated move by the tobacco industry to target new markets, using new forms of nicotine such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products to hook the next generation. The industry's cleverly marketed lies, campaigns that use packaging and a multitude of flavors — e-cigarettes are reportedly available in more than 16,000 flavors — are designed to entice the young. In Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, tobacco use among adolescent boys now exceeds 30 percent. In every country in the region, adolescent girls now smoke more than adult women. The statistics speak for themselves, revealing the depth of the tobacco industry's reach. The message is clear: Tobacco use is not just persisting, it is evolving, adapting and aggressively infiltrating the lives of new generations. Recognizing the growing threat, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean has launched the 'Tobacco Free Initiative,' which aims to address tobacco use in these demographic groups. The gendered health risks of tobacco use are serious. Women who smoke face increased risks of cervical cancer, osteoporosis, fertility problems and complications when using oral contraceptives. Smoking during pregnancy can lead to preterm births and developmental issues in newborns. For adolescents, early nicotine exposure can lead to a lifetime of addiction, with higher risks of chronic illness and premature death. The initiative supports the WHO's broader strategic goals by advancing people-centered approaches to noncommunicable disease prevention. By addressing nicotine addiction early and highlighting gender and age-specific risk factors, it supports our flagship initiative on substance use. It also strengthens the Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents agenda, which considers tobacco control a priority intervention to address preventable mortality and morbidity among adolescents, and aligns with the Global Standards for Health Promoting Schools that advocate for safe, tobacco-free environments. More girls and women are taking up the habit, threatening to reverse decades of progress and exposing new populations to harm. Dr. Hanan Balkhy The narrowing gender gap in tobacco use is of particular concern. Smoking was once a predominantly male behavior. But more girls and women are taking up the habit, threatening to reverse decades of public health progress and exposing new populations to devastating harm. This can be reversed. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the MPOWER measures provide countries with a proven roadmap that includes raising tobacco taxes, banning advertising, ensuring smoke-free public spaces and offering cessation support. These policies have worked elsewhere. They can work here too. Success will depend on leadership and collaboration. We need governments to step up and regulate emerging products by banning flavors and restricting the use of youth-oriented designs. These are not accidental trends. They are deliberately engineered entry points into addiction. We must also engage communities. Parents, teachers and healthcare providers all play vital roles in prevention and support. Schools must become tobacco-free environments that reinforce healthy behavior. Health systems must provide age and gender-sensitive cessation services, especially for young people and women. To meet the global target of a 30 percent reduction in tobacco use by 2030, we must act now. This epidemic among women and youth cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. The tobacco industry is adapting fast. We must act faster.
Arab News
17 hours ago
- Arab News
Lebanese President Aoun reviews ties, cooperation with Iraqi official
LONDON: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun discussed ties and cooperation with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani during his visit to Iraq on Sunday. Aoun stressed the importance of establishing an Arab mutual interest system to enhance shared interests among Arab countries during his meeting with Al-Sudani. In a separate meeting with Rashid at the Presidential Palace in Baghdad, Aoun commended Iraq's support and donations, including fuel shipments to generate electricity, for the Lebanese people during the recent round of the Israeli-Hezbollah war, which flared up in September 2024. Aoun said that Lebanon and Iraq face the challenge of terrorism, which is being addressed through security agencies in both countries. The two presidents emphasized the urgency to end the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip and to support the Palestinian cause without allowing it to be compromised, according to the NNA agency. Aoun said that Israel must withdraw from the five areas inside the Lebanese territory it has controlled since 2024 and stop its repeated attacks on the country that undermine peace efforts in the region. Rashid affirmed Iraq's support for Lebanon and said that Baghdad views positively the recent developments in the country following the formation of the new government in early 2025.
Al Arabiya
19 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Iraq condemns Israeli strikes on Lebanon during visit by Aoun
Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Sunday condemned Israeli attacks on Lebanon as he hosted Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, on his first visit to Baghdad since taking office. Israel has continued to strike Lebanon despite a November ceasefire that ended more than a year of conflict – including two months of open war – with militant group Hezbollah, which emerged severely weakened. Lebanese authorities reported on Sunday the third deadly Israeli raid on the country's south in four days. In a joint press conference with Aoun, al-Sudani denounced 'repeated Israeli attacks against Lebanon's sovereignty' which he said were in 'violation of international law.' The Iraqi prime minister called to 'fully implement' a UN Security Council resolution that ended a 2006 war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah and served as the basis for the latest truce, which went into effect on November 27. Under the truce terms, Hezbollah fighters were to withdraw north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the border, and dismantle their military posts to the south. Israel, for its part, was to pull all its troops out of Lebanon but has maintained five positions it deems 'strategic' along the frontier. Al-Sudani also said he discussed with the visiting Lebanese president 'shared opportunities in various sectors' including energy, telecommunications and commerce. Dominated by pro-Iranian parties, the Iraqi government has close ties with Lebanon and welcomed thousands of Lebanese people, mostly Shia Muslims, displaced by the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war. Tehran-aligned armed factions in Iraq are staunch allies of Lebanon's Shia militant group Hezbollah. Since 2021, gas-rich Iraq has provided fuel for power stations in Lebanon, mired in a grave economic crisis. Last month Beirut said it was expecting a delivery of 320,000 tons of wheat from Iraq. In Baghdad, Aoun expressed his gratitude for 'all the support and donations' Iraq has given Lebanon. Aoun, who assumed the presidency in January, also met with his Iraqi counterpart Abdel Latif Rashid.
