Latest news with #Dahiyeh
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel says it forewarned Beirut of Hezbollah strike yet gov't, army did not act
Israeli officials informed Lebanon of its intended strike on Hezbollah terror targets in Dahiyeh a week prior. Beirut did not respond to Israel's forewarning that it planned to strike terror targets from Hezbollah's Aerial Unit in Dahiyeh, Israeli officials said on Saturday, according to a report from KAN. Israel officials informed Lebanon of its intent to strike Hezbollah's Unit 127 drone infrastructure a week prior, KAN said, however, no response was taken by the Lebanese government or army. The attack on Unit 127 took place on Thursday. Israeli Air Force's "head of Lebanon affairs," intelligence officer Lieutenant Colonel N., had been tracking Hezbollah's Unit 127 for over two years. The unit is responsible for importing, manufacturing, and deploying various unmanned aerial vehicles (AUVs) from Lebanon into Israel. "We hit seven targets: five in Beirut and two in southern Lebanon," Lt. Col. N. confirmed. The IDF specifically targeted Al-Hadath, Haret Hreik, and Burj Al-Barajneh in the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiyeh, as well as several specific buildings, IDF Arabic Spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on Thursday. The sites were "deliberately established in the heart of the civilian population in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut," the IDF said. Evacuation warnings were issued to Lebanese residents prior to the attack. "The Lebanese government must disarm the terrorist organization in Hezbollah. You must ensure that the Lebanese army truly enforces the ceasefire agreement and not through coordinated displays," Defense Minister Israel Katz said in response to condemnations of the attack by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, KAN alleged. The French Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the attack in a post of Twitter/X on Friday, calling for "all the parties to abide by the ceasefire."
Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Lebanon complains of ‘one-sided ceasefire' after Israeli air strikes on Beirut
Israel 's wave of air strikes on greater Beirut and southern Lebanon on Thursday night has renewed complaints in Lebanon about a 'one-sided ceasefire'. The strikes occurred more than six months after the truce between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hizbullah came into force. Many Lebanese families had gathered to celebrate Eid al-Adha, one of the most important holidays on the Islamic calendar, when Israeli warnings about expected air strikes were announced through social media, prompting panic and displacement. At least 10 strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, according to the Reuters news agency, while others hit the southern village of Ain Qana. In the aftermath, Lebanese president Joseph Aoun condemned 'the Israeli aggression', calling the strikes a 'flagrant violation of an international accord' and noting they were occurring 'on the eve of a sacred religious festival'. READ MORE When questioned about the timing of the strikes and whether Israel is deliberately violating the ceasefire, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they had struck 'underground UAV [drone] production and storage facilities ... as well as a drone manufacturing workshop'. 'Despite the understandings between Israel and Lebanon, Hizbullah's aerial unit continues to engage in terrorism and expand its capabilities. The unit is working to produce thousands of UAVs under the direction and funding of Iranian terrorists, as part of Iran's efforts to harm the State of Israel.' The spokesperson said the alleged activity 'constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The IDF is prepared in defence and offence and will continue to operate to remove any threat posed to the State of Israel and its civilians, and will prevent any attempt by Hizbullah to re-establish itself.' Israeli defence minister Israel Katz, in a post on X, said that there was 'perfect execution' of the strikes. 'We see the Lebanese government as directly responsible for preventing violations of the ceasefire and all terrorist activity against the State of Israel,' he said. Under the ceasefire agreement, which came into force in the early hours of November 27th, 2024, Hizbullah fighters were required to move north of the Litani river, while Israel was required to withdraw completely from Lebanon, though its forces remain in five 'strategic' positions. Between November 27th and May 6th, a spokeswoman for the UN peacekeeping force Unifil said it had documented more than 2,700 air violations and almost 70 air attacks by Israel in Lebanon, while there were 19 violations from the Lebanese side, not counting 'legacy violations' of weapons and ammunition left behind. Those figures do not include Israeli strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, which is outside Unifil's area of operations in southern Lebanon, the spokeswoman said. On May 29th, Irish peacekeepers in southern Lebanon came under fire from Israeli forces while on a joint patrol with the Lebanese Armed Forces. 'This is the latest in a range of what I view as intimidatory behaviour by the IDF towards peacekeepers or, as we saw recently, Irish diplomats too. So this is not acceptable,' said Tánaiste Simon Harris at the time.
MTV Lebanon
a day ago
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
Salam: Lebanon faces systematic and deliberate targeting ahead of holidays
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned the repeated Israeli threats and attacks on Lebanon, especially on Dahiyeh considering them a "systematic and deliberate targeting of Lebanon, its security, stability, and economy, particularly on the eve of the holidays and the tourist season." President Salam emphasizes that "these assaults constitute a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and UN Resolution 1701," calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities to deter Israel from continuing its attacks and to compel it to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory.
Asharq Al-Awsat
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israeli Drones Hover over Beirut and Its Suburbs
Israeli reconnaissance drones hovered at a low altitude on Saturday flying over the Lebanese capital Beirut and several other areas. Lebanese media said the planes flew over the southern suburbs of Beirut, Bchamoun, Aramoun, Khaldeh, Choueifat, and other surrounding areas. Cautious calm prevailed in the southern suburbs of Beirut one day after an Israeli airstrike targeted a building in the area. Israel on Friday carried out its first major airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs in months, retaliating for an earlier rocket launch from Lebanon in the most serious test of a shaky ceasefire deal agreed in November. Israel said the strike had targeted a building in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh, that Israel said was a drone storage facility belonging to the Iranian-backed group. The south Beirut airstrike was heard across the Lebanese capital and produced a large column of black smoke. It followed an evacuation order by Israel's military for the neighborhood, and three smaller targeted drone strikes on the building intended as warning shots, security sources told Reuters.
Asharq Al-Awsat
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israel Strikes Beirut Suburbs for 1st Time Since Truce, Says Will Hit 'Anywhere' to Enforce it
Israel on Friday carried out its first major airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs in months, retaliating for an earlier rocket launch from Lebanon in the most serious test of a shaky ceasefire deal agreed in November. The strike targeted a building in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh, that Israel said was a drone storage facility belonging to the Iranian-backed group. The ceasefire has looked increasingly flimsy in recent weeks. Israel delayed a promised troop withdrawal in January and said last week it had intercepted rockets fired on March 22, which led it to bombard targets in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the rocket firing. Israel is also renewing its military campaign in Gaza after the collapse of a January ceasefire with Hamas - a resumption of major warfare that has set the wider region back on edge. The south Beirut airstrike was heard across the Lebanese capital and produced a large column of black smoke. It followed an evacuation order by Israel's military for the neighborhood, and three smaller targeted drone strikes on the building intended as warning shots, security sources told Reuters. The evacuation directive sent residents of the area into a panic. They rushed to escape on foot as traffic clogged the streets out of the area, Reuters reporters in the area said. Beirut's southern suburbs were pounded last year by Israeli airstrikes that killed many of Hezbollah's top leaders, including its powerful long-time chief Hassan Nasrallah in a September air attack. In south Lebanon, smoke rose from Israeli artillery strikes against targets in the hills just across the border. The truce in November halted the fighting and mandated that southern Lebanon be free of Hezbollah fighters and weapons, that Lebanese troops deploy to the area and that Israeli ground troops withdraw from the zone. But each side accuses the other of not entirely living up to those terms. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday Israel would continue to attack anywhere in Lebanon to counter threats and enforce the ceasefire accord. "Whoever has not yet internalized the new situation in Lebanon, has (today) received an additional reminder of our determination," he said. "We will not allow firing at our communities, not even a trickle." No group has claimed responsibility for the rocket fire. The Lebanese army said it was able to locate the launch site of Friday's rocket attacks and had begun an investigation to identify those responsible. CRITICISM Israeli ministers have vowed to ensure that the tens of thousands of Israelis who evacuated their homes in border areas when Hezbollah began bombarding the area in 2023 would be able to return safely. But with more Israeli military units deployed around Gaza, where 19 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Friday, according to local health authorities, it remained unclear whether Israel was prepared for any wider intervention. Hezbollah denied any role in the rocket fire on March 22 and on Friday. President Joseph Aoun said a Lebanese investigation into last week's attack did not point to Hezbollah and called Friday's strike on Beirut unjustified. French President Emmanuel Macron, whose government helped mediate the ceasefire in November, criticised Israel for what he called "unacceptable strikes on Beirut" that he said did not respect the ceasefire and played into Hezbollah's hands. "The Israeli army must withdraw as quickly as possible from the five positions it continues to occupy in Lebanese territory," he said, adding he would speak with both Israeli and US leaders. Israel's statement confirming its air raid on Dahiyeh said that the Friday morning rocket fire amounted to "a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and a direct threat to the citizens of the State of Israel." It added that the Lebanese state bears responsibility for upholding the agreement. Israel has vowed a strong response to any threats to its security, stirring fears that last year's conflict - which displaced more than 1.3 million people in Lebanon and destroyed much of the country's south - could resume. The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said the firing across the southern border on Friday was "deeply concerning." "Any exchange of fire is one too many. A return to wider conflict in Lebanon would be devastating for civilians on both sides of the Blue Line and must be avoided at all costs," she said in a written statement.
