Latest news with #Israel-Lebanese
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel hits southern Lebanon as Hamas agrees to ceasefire from there
Tel Aviv/Beirut (dpa) — Israeli fighter jets carried out a series of heavy airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, targeting a Hezbollah site near the city of Nabatieh, according to Lebanese security sources. At least 15 strikes were reported in the area, resulting in the death of one person and leaving eight others injured, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. The Israeli military confirmed the operation, stating that the targeted Hezbollah facility was used to manage weapons systems related to both offence and defence. The base was described as part of a major underground project run by the Iranian-backed militia. "The strike targeted terrorists, weapons and tunnels," the military said, adding that the facility has been rendered inoperable. Israel accused Hezbollah of violating a ceasefire agreement that has officially been in place since late November 2023. Though both sides have repeatedly blamed each other for violations, Israel maintains it will continue to strike militant targets in Lebanon if deemed necessary to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its capabilities. The latest escalation highlights the fragility of the truce between Hezbollah — an ally of the Palestinian militant organization Hamas — and Israel, as tensions in the region remain high. Hamas, which mainly operates in the Gaza Strip and was responsible for attacking Israel, along with others on October 7, 2023, which started the current conflict, said on Thursday that it is fully committed to an Israel-Lebanese ceasefire. This came after a recent rocket-launching incident by Hamas that raised tensions there. In a statement, Ahmad Abdel Hadi, Hamas's representative in Lebanon, said the group had informed Lebanese authorities of its stance and was cooperating with the state to address the matter. He described the rocket fire as an unauthorized act carried out by individuals reacting emotionally to Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza. Hamas, he emphasized, had no prior knowledge of the launch and did not approve it. In response to a formal request by Lebanese authorities, Hamas handed over three of the four individuals allegedly involved and is continuing coordination with Lebanese security services. Despite the November ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes and intermittent rocket fire from Lebanese territory have continued, including two unclaimed attacks on March 22 and 28. Israel has said it reserves the right to continue targeting militant groups in Lebanon. On Wednesday, another Hamas commander was killed in such an attack. In April, the Lebanese Army arrested several Lebanese and Palestinian individuals reportedly connected to those attacks, including three members of Hamas, according to security sources. Abdel Hadi called his recent meetings with senior Lebanese officials 'positive and constructive,' and denied rumors of tension with the state. He stressed Hamas's respect for Lebanese sovereignty, stability, and laws. The statement also said Jordan had not raised any concerns about Hamas's presence in Lebanon, following claims by Jordan's Intelligence Department that it foiled plots linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group ideologically close to Hamas.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill 7, officials say, as IDF threatens more attacks
Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least seven people on Saturday, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, as the Israel Defense Forces responded to rocket launches from the south of the country toward Israel. The cross-border exchanges were the largest since a U.S.-brokered truce came into effect in November, ending more than a year of fighting between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia. A child was among the seven people killed by Israel's strikes, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. Another 40 people were injured, it added in a statement. The ministry reported Israeli strikes in at least seven areas of the country's south, where Hezbollah wields major influence. The coastal city of Tyre -- the country's fifth largest city -- was among the areas hit. Southern Lebanon was the location of much of Israel's recent air and ground campaign against Hezbollah, with parts of the capital Beirut also devastated. The IDF said its strikes were conducted in response to the launch of six rockets from Lebanon toward Israel on Saturday morning. "The IDF struck Hezbollah command centers, infrastructure sites, terrorists, rocket launchers and a weapons storage facility throughout Lebanon," the IDF said in a statement, adding it will "continue to strike as required in order to protect Israeli civilians." An Israeli official told ABC News that three of the six rockets fired crossed into Israeli territory. The official said Israel could not immediately confirm which group was responsible, though described the attack as "a serious violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon." Hezbollah denied responsibility for the rocket launches, suggesting that the "allegations are merely pretexts" for Israeli strikes on Lebanon, "which have not ceased since the ceasefire was announced." Israel has continued to launch strikes against what it says are Hezbollah targets inside Lebanon since the agreement was signed. "Hezbollah reiterates our commitment to the ceasefire agreement," the group's statement continued, framing the Israeli strikes as "dangerous" and an "escalation." MORE: Husam al-Titi, former ABC News journalist, killed in Gaza air strike Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that the IDF had been instructed "to act forcefully against dozens of terror targets in Lebanon." Lebanon's government, they added, will be held responsible for "everything taking place within its territory". Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a statement that the army had been ordered to investigate the rocket launches and called for all parties to engage with the "utmost seriousness." Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that his country was at risk of being drawn into a "new war." Israeli troops are still present at five locations inside southern Lebanon despite the country's commitment to withdraw as part of the November ceasefire. Renewed Israel-Lebanese tensions come alongside the collapse of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza after nearly two months. As of Sunday, health officials in the Hamas-run territory said at least 673 people had been killed and 1,233 others wounded by renewed Israeli attacks. ABC News' Ghazi Balkiz, Anna Burd, Sami Zyara, Diaa Ostaz, Morgan Winsor and Victoria Beaule contributed to this report. Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill 7, officials say, as IDF threatens more attacks originally appeared on
