Latest news with #Khaldeh
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli drone attack near Beirut kills at least one, injures three others
An Israeli drone attack has killed at least one person and injured three near the Lebanese capital, Beirut, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health says, the latest violation of the ceasefire between the two countries. The air raid on Thursday hit a vehicle on a busy motorway in the Khaldeh area, about 12km (8 miles) south of Beirut. The Israeli military said it targeted 'military sites and weapons depots' in the area. Bombing an area near the Lebanese capital marks another escalation by Israel, which has been carrying out near-daily bombardment in Lebanon since it reached a truce with Hezbollah in November of last year. The identities of the victims of the attack have not been released. Reporting from outside Beirut, Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr noted that the Israeli air raid took place during rush hour, with many people making their way from Beirut to south Lebanon. 'Israel is also acting with little restraint. The Lebanese state wants these attacks to stop, but the state has little leverage. Hezbollah, too, if it does respond, could trigger a harsh Israeli retaliation,' Khodr said. 'We don't see a wide-scale Israeli bombardment like we saw last year, targeting areas where Hezbollah has influence, but we see these attacks happening almost on a daily basis.' Later on Thursday, the Israeli military carried out a wave of air strikes across south Lebanon, with heavy bombardment targeting the outskirts of Zawtar al-Charqiyeh, near Nabatieh, Lebanon's official National News Agency officials often condemn such attacks and call on the United States and France – the two sponsors of last year's ceasefire – to pressure Israel to end its violations. But diplomatic efforts have failed to stem the ceasefire breaches, amid unwillingness by the US and its Western allies to hold Israel to account. The repeated Israeli attacks are testing Hezbollah's position in Lebanon after it suffered painful blows in its confrontation with Israel last year. The Iran-allied group started attacking Israeli military positions at the border in October 2023, in what it said was a 'support front' to help bring an end to the war on Gaza. For months, the conflict remained largely confined to the border region, but in September of last year, Israel launched an all-out assault on Lebanon that destroyed large parts of the country, especially areas where Hezbollah enjoys support. The Israeli military also assassinated the group's top political and military leaders, including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. A ceasefire was reached in November, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a previous conflict in 2006. The truce stipulated that Hezbollah must withdraw its forces to the north of the Litani River, about 30km (20 miles) from the Israeli border. But after the truce came into effect, Israel continued to occupy parts of south Lebanon in violation of the agreement, and it has been carrying out attacks across the country. Weakened by the war, Hezbollah has refrained from responding. The Lebanese Armed Forces have also failed to hit back against latest strike in Khaldeh comes amid Lebanese media reports about a US proposal that would see Hezbollah disarm in exchange for an end to Israel's attacks and a full withdrawal from the country. But Hezbollah's Secretary-General Naim Qassem appeared to dismiss any agreement to give up the group's weapons that would involve Israel. 'We are a group that cannot be driven to humiliation. We will not give up our land. We will not give up our arms to the Israeli enemy,' Qassem said. 'And we will not accept to be threatened into concessions.' Qassem previously warned that Hezbollah's 'patience' in allowing the Lebanese state to deal with the Israeli attacks diplomatically may run out. But given the cost of the previous war on Hezbollah's military structure as well as its civilian base, it is not clear whether the group is in a position to renew the conflict with Israel.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli drone strike kills 1, injures 3 near Beirut
KHALDEH, Lebanon (AP) — An Israeli drone strike hit a car on a highway in the town of Khaldeh just south of Beirut, killing one person and injuring three others, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported Thursday. The Israeli army said in a statement that it had targeted 'a saboteur who was involved in arms smuggling and advancing terrorist plots against Israeli citizens and the Israeli Defense Forces on behalf of Iran's Quds Force.' It was not immediately clear if the target of the strike was the person killed. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal nominally ended the latest war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in November, but Israel has continued to launch near-daily airstrikes in Lebanon since then against what it says are officials and facilities of Hezbollah and other militant groups. Hezbollah has claimed one strike fired across the border since the ceasefire. Most of the Israeli strikes have been in southern Lebanon, but Israel has also struck a handful of times in Beirut's southern suburbs since the ceasefire. Thursday's strike was in a congested area close to Lebanon's only commercial airport. Nearly 250 people were killed and 609 wounded in Israeli attacks in Lebanon between Nov. 28 — the day after the ceasefire took effect — and the end of June, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Also Thursday, Hezbollah members and supporters held a funeral in Beirut's southern suburbs for the former bodyguard and head of security of Hassan Nasrallah, the group's longtime leader. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut last year, while his former bodyguard was killed in Iran during last month's Israel-Iran war, along with his son. ——- Associated Press staff writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.
The National
2 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Israeli drone strike blows up car near Beirut
Israel attacked a busy road near Beirut on Thursday, blowing up a car and killing an alleged arms smuggler. CCTV footage showed the moment the vehicle exploded in a ball of flame, while cars passed the scene of the explosion on the Khaldeh road. Authorities in Lebanon said one person was killed and three were injured in the attack on Beirut's southern suburbs. The Israeli military said it had 'struck and eliminated a terrorist responsible for smuggling weapons and advancing terror attacks against Israeli civilians and troops". It claimed the target worked on behalf of Iran 's Quds Force, a foreign operations branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The attack is the latest Israeli strike to breach a ceasefire in Lebanon that followed a 14-month conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah, including an intensive two-month Israeli air campaign. It ended in November under a US-brokered truce, leaving Lebanon with huge reconstruction needs. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hezbollah is required to withdraw all military equipment and fighters from south of the Litani River, which lies 30km from the Lebanon-Israel border. Israel is supposed to fully withdraw from positions it has occupied since launching a ground invasion in October. The Lebanese government has accused Israel of breaching the truce more than 3,000 times. It says Hezbollah has abided by its commitments. Israel separately said its military hit "weapons storage facilities, military structures, and terrorist infrastructure" belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, where breaches of the ceasefire have been common. It said "the presence of weapons and Hezbollah's activity constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon". Lebanon has recently come under increasing US pressure to include Hezbollah's disarmament in its official government agenda as soon as possible. Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said in a televised speech on Thursday the group would 'never accept surrendering our weapons to the Israeli enemy' nor 'accept surrendering our land'. Hezbollah saw its power dramatically diminished and most of its senior leaders killed in the war with Israel. But it is still believed to possess medium and long-range missiles, and it continues to command a broad Shiite support base.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Israeli drone attack near Beirut kills at least one, injures three others
An Israeli drone attack has killed at least one person and injured three near the Lebanese capital, Beirut, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health says, the latest violation of the ceasefire between the two countries. The air raid on Thursday hit a vehicle on a busy motorway in the Khaldeh area, about 12km (8 miles) south of Beirut. The Israeli military said it targeted 'military sites and weapons depots' in the area. Bombing an area near the Lebanese capital marks another escalation by Israel, which has been carrying out near-daily bombardment in Lebanon since it reached a truce with Hezbollah in November of last year. The identities of the victims of the attack have not been released. Reporting from outside Beirut, Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr noted that the Israeli air raid took place during rush hour, with many people making their way from Beirut to south Lebanon. 'Israel is also acting with little restraint. The Lebanese state wants these attacks to stop, but the state has little leverage. Hezbollah, too, if it does respond, could trigger a harsh Israeli retaliation,' Khodr said. 'We don't see a wide-scale Israeli bombardment like we saw last year, targeting areas where Hezbollah has influence, but we see these attacks happening almost on a daily basis.' Later on Thursday, the Israeli military carried out a wave of air strikes across south Lebanon, with heavy bombardment targeting the outskirts of Zawtar al-Charqiyeh, near Nabatieh, Lebanon's official National News Agency reported. Lebanese officials often condemn such attacks and call on the United States and France – the two sponsors of last year's ceasefire – to pressure Israel to end its violations. But diplomatic efforts have failed to stem the ceasefire breaches, amid unwillingness by the US and its Western allies to hold Israel to account. The repeated Israeli attacks are testing Hezbollah's position in Lebanon after it suffered painful blows in its confrontation with Israel last year. The Iran-allied group started attacking Israeli military positions at the border in October 2023, in what it said was a 'support front' to help bring an end to the war on Gaza. For months, the conflict remained largely confined to the border region, but in September of last year, Israel launched an all-out assault on Lebanon that destroyed large parts of the country, especially areas where Hezbollah enjoys support. The Israeli military also assassinated the group's top political and military leaders, including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. A ceasefire was reached in November, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a previous conflict in 2006. The truce stipulated that Hezbollah must withdraw its forces to the north of the Litani River, about 30km (20 miles) from the Israeli border. But after the truce came into effect, Israel continued to occupy parts of south Lebanon in violation of the agreement, and it has been carrying out attacks across the country. Weakened by the war, Hezbollah has refrained from responding. The Lebanese Armed Forces have also failed to hit back against Israel. The latest strike in Khaldeh comes amid Lebanese media reports about a US proposal that would see Hezbollah disarm in exchange for an end to Israel's attacks and a full withdrawal from the country. But Hezbollah's Secretary-General Naim Qassem appeared to dismiss any agreement to give up the group's weapons that would involve Israel. 'We are a group that cannot be driven to humiliation. We will not give up our land. We will not give up our arms to the Israeli enemy,' Qassem said. 'And we will not accept to be threatened into concessions.' Qassem previously warned that Hezbollah's 'patience' in allowing the Lebanese state to deal with the Israeli attacks diplomatically may run out. But given the cost of the previous war on Hezbollah's military structure as well as its civilian base, it is not clear whether the group is in a position to renew the conflict with Israel.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Israeli drone strike kills 1, injures 3 near Beirut
A civil defense worker inspects a destroyed car that was hit in an Israeli drone strike in Khaldeh town, south of Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, July 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) KHALDEH, Lebanon — An Israeli drone strike hit a car on a highway in the town of Khaldeh just south of Beirut, killing one person and injuring three others, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported Thursday. The Israeli army said in a statement that it had targeted 'a saboteur who was involved in arms smuggling and advancing terrorist plots against Israeli citizens and the Israeli Defense Forces on behalf of Iran's Quds Force.' It was not immediately clear if the target of the strike was the person killed. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal nominally ended the latest war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in November, but Israel has continued to launch near-daily airstrikes in Lebanon since then against what it says are officials and facilities of Hezbollah and other militant groups. Hezbollah has claimed one strike fired across the border since the ceasefire. Most of the Israeli strikes have been in southern Lebanon, but Israel has also struck a handful of times in Beirut's southern suburbs since the ceasefire. Thursday's strike was in a congested area close to Lebanon's only commercial airport. Nearly 250 people were killed and 609 wounded in Israeli attacks in Lebanon between Nov. 28 — the day after the ceasefire took effect — and the end of June, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Also Thursday, Hezbollah members and supporters held a funeral in Beirut's southern suburbs for the former bodyguard and head of security of Hassan Nasrallah, the group's longtime leader. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut last year, while his former bodyguard was killed in Iran during last month's Israel-Iran war, along with his son. ——- Hussein Malla, The Associated Press Associated Press staff writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.
