Israeli army says it raided and destroyed Hezbollah sites in south Lebanon
In a statement, it said that reservists from the 300th Brigade destroyed a Hezbollah compound that included a weapons depot and firing positions.
It added that reservists from the 9th Brigade identified a weapons cache in the Labbouneh area.
Hezbollah has not yet commented.
Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon have continued in violation of a November 2024 ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.
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Middle East Eye
37 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Cardinal Pizzaballa makes rare visit to Gaza after Israeli strike on church
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest-ranking Catholic official in Jerusalem, entered Gaza on Friday to bring humanitarian aid and solidarity after Israel's strike on the sole Catholic church of the enclave. Three Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in the Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza City a day earlier. Photos released by the church showed its roof had been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and that windows had been broken. The church has offered shelter to hundreds of Palestinians since the start of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023. In an interview with Italy's Corriere della Sera daily, Pizzaballa said a Catholic presence would remain in Gaza "whatever happens," and expressed doubts about Israel's comments that the strike was a mistake. "We are not a target. They say it was an error. Even if everybody here believes it wasn't," the cardinal said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday blamed "stray ammunition" and said his country was "investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites." It is extremely rare for foreign officials to be allowed entry into Gaza, as Israel has sealed off all borders. Pizzaballa was accompanied by Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. The two religious leaders brought "hundreds of tons of food supplies as well as first aid kits and urgently needed medical equipment," Pizzaballa's Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement. The aid is meant not only for Gaza's small Christian community but for "as many families as possible", the Patriarchate said, adding it also ensured the evacuation of those injured in the church strike. Pope Leo, who on Thursday said he was "deeply saddened" by the attack but declined to blame Israel for it, called the cardinal and Theophilos on Friday to convey his support for their mission, Pizzaballa told Vatican media. The Pope expressed his love and affection for the Gaza parish community "and reiterated his intention to do everything possible to stop the needless slaughter of innocents," the Vatican said. Reporting by Reuters
Gulf Today
an hour ago
- Gulf Today
Israeli settlers accused of killing 117 sheep in West Bank attack
Palestinian Bedouins accused Israeli settlers on Friday of killing 117 sheep in an overnight attack and stealing hundreds of others in an apparent effort to chase farmers off their land in the occupied West Bank. The incident comes amid what the United Nations described this week as intensifying attacks by Jewish settlers and security forces against Palestinians in the West Bank and record mass displacements. The Israeli army did not respond to a request for comment about the mass slaughter of the animals belonging to the Arab Al Kaabaneh Bedouin community, in the Jordan Valley. Veterinarians were called in to treat a handful of sheep which had survived the knife and gun attack, some of the animals shaking uncontrollably and in apparent shock. A Palestinian checks wounded sheep after settlers attack a Bedouin community in the Jordan valley, in West Bank. Reuters Salem Salman Mujahed, a resident of Arab Al Kaabaneh, said multiple groups of settlers working in coordination had orchestrated the assault, and accused the army of standing by. "(Settlers) came near the houses. I asked them what are you doing here then we started fighting with each other," he said. "The army detained me, and they handcuffed me." He said other groups of settlers then attacked the sheep, which are vital to his community's survival. Reuters was unable to independently verify who was responsible for the attack. A Palestinian Bedouin walks in a community as an Israeli settlement stands in the back ground in the Jordan valley, West Bank. Reuters Palestinian Minister Moayad Shaaban condemned the incident, calling it part of a broader strategy to displace Palestinians from the region. "These sheep and animals were slaughtered and shot at," he told Reuters. "They are using these tools to terrify these people to leave these areas, which have been inhabited for dozens of years." MOVING AWAY The attack prompted at least one family to begin relocating. Bedouin Tareq Kaabaneh said he could no longer withstand what he called settler intimidation. "They were armed, they steal donkeys and sheep. In the night they come here and start shooting toward us," Kaabaneh said. "I am moving now from here, I want to protect my kids and my sheep, my livelihood ... yesterday I was safe, but I don't know what will happen to me tomorrow," he added. The United Nations reported this week that mass displacements in the West Bank had reached levels unprecedented since Israel first took military control of the territory nearly six decades ago. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva also said there had been 757 settler attacks on Palestinians or their properties since January - a 13% increase from the same period last year. At least 964 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023. The US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee demanded this week a full investigation into the killing of a Palestinian American who was beaten to death by settlers in the West Bank on July 11, describing it as a "criminal and terrorist act." The United Nations' highest court said last year that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, was illegal and should end as soon as possible. Reuters
Middle East Eye
an hour ago
- Middle East Eye
Israeli settlers slaughter dozens of sheep in attack on Palestinian Bedouins
At dawn on Friday, groups of Israeli settlers slaughtered dozens of sheep and beat and stole several others in al-Miteh in the Jordan Valley, in the occupied West Bank. The attack forced two Palestinian families to evacuate their homes and relocate to al-Auja, near the city of Jericho. This incident is part of a growing pattern of settler violence targeting Bedouin communities, aimed at driving them from lands coveted by Israeli settlers. The settlers frequently attack livestock as a way to destroy the livelihood of Palestinian families and facilitate the seizure of their lands. Mahmoud Kaabneh, one of the residents forced to flee, told Middle East Eye that on Thursday evening, settlers attacked the home of his brother Salem and attempted to steal donkeys. When the family intervened to stop them, more settlers arrived and began assaulting the homes of Salem and his cousin Suleiman, along with their families. The settlers then opened the sheep pen and stole around 350 sheep. Residents quickly gathered to try to recover the livestock. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "The Israeli army was present with the settlers and did nothing," Kaabneh said. "But when the residents tried to rescue the livestock, the soldiers attacked the Palestinians instead and chased us down. They arrested 20 men and beat them severely for four hours." 'We were left with nothing' In the early morning hours, residents continued searching for their sheep and discovered that settlers had slaughtered dozens of them. "More than 100 sheep were killed - some slaughtered with knives, others beaten to death, and many left with deep wounds. Some of them were stolen," Kaabneh said. He added that a man from the area was hit on the head with an iron pipe while trying to fend off the settlers. When an ambulance arrived, Israeli soldiers detained him for hours at the Hamra checkpoint near Tubas, preventing him from being transported to hospital. Palestinians left 'without shelter and water' as settlers empty West Bank village Read More » Kaabneh and his brothers, who live nearby, were forced to leave their homes and leave the area after the attack - the fifth time they've been displaced due to settler violence. "We've been displaced since 13 October 2023,' he said. "Each time we're attacked, our children and women are beaten, our sheep stolen. Once, they took everything we owned - our homes, belongings - and we were left with nothing but the clothes on our backs." According to local residents, settler attacks are a near-daily occurrence in the area, but this latest assault was among the most violent, spreading fear among Bedouin families. Aref Daraghmeh, a local anti-settlement activist, said at least 30 Bedouin families have been forced to leave the Jordan Valley due to increased settler violence since the start of the war on Gaza, including 20 families in the past three months alone. Recently, settlers have begun a tactic known locally as flag-based settlement, in which they plant an Israeli flag near the tents of Palestinian residents. If the flag is disturbed or even blown over by the wind, settlers use it as a pretext to attack Palestinians. This tactic has terrified residents, Daraghmeh told MEE, adding that settlers have also been using tractors to ram into homes and animal shelters. "There is no one to protect the Palestinians here," Daraghmeh said. "The Israeli army is supporting the settlers in their attempt to completely evacuate the Jordan Valley of its residents."
