Latest news with #Toul
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- The Guardian
Footage captures moment of Israeli airstrike on Lebanon
Footage captured the moment Israel carried out an airstrike in southern Lebanon, on the town of Toul, killing one person and injuring another. Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for residents of Toul, just outside the city of Nabatieh, before carrying out an airstrike there
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Israeli airstrikes hit south Lebanon before region's first elections in years
Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes on south Lebanon, killing one person and wounding another, before the first municipal elections in south Lebanon in more than nine years. The strikes began on Thursday afternoon and the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for residents of Toul, just outside the city of Nabatieh, before carrying out an airstrike there. People were advised to evacuate to more than 500 metres away from a highlighted building in Toul that the Israeli military said was a facility belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. Israel bombed at least five other towns in south Lebanon later on Thursday, killing what Israel said was a member of Hezbollah's elite commando unit, the Radwan force. Israel carries out near-daily airstrikes in Lebanon despite a November ceasefire that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war, which started after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel on 8 October 2023 in solidarity with the Hamas attack the day prior. Israel has claimed it is stopping violations of the ceasefire but Lebanon says the Israeli airstrikes trample on its sovereignty and has called for ceasefire violations to be handled by the international monitoring committee set up in the November agreement. Lebanon's prime minister, Nawaf Salam, condemned the Israeli attacks on Thursday, saying they came at a 'dangerous' time, less than two days before municipal elections in Lebanon's south. Officials have for months grappled with how to hold elections in south Lebanon, fearful for voters' safety amid Israeli strikes, as well as facing logistical challenges due to the scale of the destruction there. 'Prime Minister Salam stresses that these violations will not thwart the state's commitment to holding the elections and protecting Lebanon and the Lebanese,' Salam's office said in a statement. Lebanon has not held municipal elections since 2016 owing to lack of funds and the Israel-Hezbollah war. Saturday's elections in the south are the fourth round of voting, which has been held every weekend since the beginning of May in a different region of Lebanon each time. Lebanese officials view the municipal elections as a key step towards building the Lebanese state, which for the past two decades had been dominated by Hezbollah. The Lebanese government, formed after the ceasefire, has made nation-building and restoring the state's monopoly on violence key priorities. Lebanon's political system is largely divided among sectarian lines, and sect and geography are the largest determinants for political leanings. Elections in other regions of Lebanon have so far largely resulted in victories for Lebanon's traditional political parties, with the Christian Lebanese Forces enjoying a slight bump in popularity. In south Lebanon, the municipal elections are seen as a referendum on Hezbollah. Hezbollah historically enjoys widespread support in south Lebanon, but the group's base was hit hard by the war with Israel, which reduced many Lebanese border towns to rubble. Reconstruction money promised by Hezbollah during the war has not yet come. The group's finances have been strangled as the Lebanese state cuts off routes through the border with Syria and Beirut's airport that Hezbollah used in the past to get funds. The secretary general of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, called on his supporters to go to the polls on Saturday and secure a 'resounding' victory for the group.
The National
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Israel carries out spate of bombings on south Lebanon ahead of municipal elections
Israel carried out a wave of bombings across south Lebanon late on Thursday, ratcheting up its attacks on the region days before municipal elections are due to take place there. One strike hit a building next to a busy main road in Toul, a town north-west of the city of Nabatieh. No casualties were reported but the damage was extensive. Footage posted online showed the struck building on fire, sending up black plumes of smoke. The Israeli military claimed, without providing evidence, that the building contained Hezbollah facilities and ordered people to move at least 500 metres away before launching the strike. Strikes were also carried out on Houla and near the coastal city of Naqoura. One strike landed near a fisherman, who was unharmed. The Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah sites and killed one member of the group. It claimed to have killed a member of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force in the area of Rab El Thalathine, about 17 kilometres to the south-east of Toul. Lebanese authorities said three people were killed in Israeli attacks in the south on Wednesday. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Thursday condemned 'the repeated Israeli aggressions against Lebanon at a critical moment just before municipal elections in the south'. The elections are set for Saturday. Despite the escalation in attacks, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem called on supporters to go to the polls and secure a 'resounding' victory in areas where its traditional voter bases are concentrated. Israel continues to bomb south Lebanon on a daily basis despite the ceasefire agreed with Hezbollah last November. But in recent weeks it has been rare for the Israeli army to issue eviction warnings before its attacks. These have largely been drone strikes on alleged Hezbollah members rather than on buildings.
LBCI
22-05-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Israeli army warns residents in South Lebanon's Toul to evacuate
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued a warning to residents of the village of Toul in South Lebanon, specifically those located in a building marked in red on a shared map, as well as nearby structures. In a post on X, Adraee claimed the area contains Hezbollah-affiliated infrastructure and urged residents to evacuate immediately for their safety and the safety of their families. "You are near Hezbollah facilities. For your safety and that of your families, you must evacuate these buildings immediately and move at least 500 meters away, as shown on the map," he said. #عاجل 🔸تحذير عاجل للمتواجدين في قرية تول في جنوب لبنان وتحديدًا لكل من يتواجد في المبنى المحدد بالأحمر وفق ما يُعرض في الخارطة والمباني القريبة منه 🔸تتواجدون بالقرب من منشآت تابعة لحزب الله الارهابي 🔸من أجل سلامتكم وسلامة أبناء عائلاتكم, أنتم مضطرون لإخلاء هذه المباني فورًا… — افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) May 22, 2025
LBCI
22-05-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Israel strikes southern town of Toul following evacuation alert
An Israeli airstrike targeted the town of Toul in South Lebanon following an evacuation warning issued by Israeli army spokesperson, Avichay Adraee. In a separate incident, Israel struck the town of Touline in South Lebanon.
