Latest news with #UN-demarcated
Al Manar
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Manar
Israeli Occupation Forces Breach Blue Line Again, Escalating Ceasefire Violations in Lebanon
The Israeli occupation forces once again violated the UN-demarcated Blue Line on Wednesday morning, as over 50 Zionist soldiers, accompanied by two military bulldozers, crossed into Lebanese territory at the 'Bir Shouaib' area east of the southern town of Blida. The troops began excavation work at the same site where a similar breach occurred ten days ago—an incursion that was fully cleared by the Lebanese Army at the time. This latest violation came just hours after Israeli forces withdrew from Lebanese areas near Mais Al-Jabal and Blida. It was soon revealed that bulldozers had dug two large trenches and erected earth mounds in both 'Kroum Al-Mrah,' east of Mays El Jabal, and 'Bir Shouaib,' east of Blida—a clear continuation of Zionist desperate efforts to entrench control over Lebanese frontier areas. Circulating Video | Civilian footage shows Lebanese Army reinforcements heading toward the site of the Israeli incursion in 'Kroum Al-Mrah,' east of Mays Al-Jabal, late Wednesday night: Sustained Violations of UN Resolution 1701 These actions constitute a documented breach of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war and obligates respect for the delineated border. Additionally, the escalations form part of a broader pattern of violations by Israeli occupation forces since the internationally brokered ceasefire took effect in November 2024. Despite Lebanon's restraint and continued coordination with UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), the occupation has persisted with limited incursions, earthworks, surveillance deployments, sporadic gunfire, and intensive aerial reconnaissance over southern Lebanon.
Ammon
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Ammon
France urges Israel to show restraint in Lebanon after Beirut strike
Ammon News - France on Wednesday called on Israel to exercise "maximum restraint" in Lebanon following an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburb last Sunday. Paris emphasized that dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure is solely the responsibility of the Lebanese Armed to Agence France-Presse (AFP), French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine told reporters that "France recalls that respecting the ceasefire is an obligation for all parties without exception to ensure the safety of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line," referring to the UN-demarcated added, "France urges Israel to exercise maximum restraint and to withdraw as soon as possible from the five occupied sites on Lebanese territory."
Jordan Times
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Israel targets Hizbollah in south Lebanon as US envoy visits
United Nations peacekeepers drive in vehicles of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) past destroyed buildings while patroling in Lebanon's southern village of Kfar Kila close to the border with Israel on April 6, 2025 (AFP photo) BEIRUT, Lebanon — A strike Sunday that Israel said targeted Hizbollah killed two people in south Lebanon, according to authorities, as a US envoy was visiting for talks on the militant group and economic reforms. The strike came more than four months into a fragile truce between Israel and Hizbollah, and a day after US deputy special envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus discussed disarming the Iran-backed group in meetings with senior figures, according to a Lebanese official. On Sunday in the south, near the Israeli border, the Lebanese health ministry said two people were killed in an "Israeli enemy" strike on the town of Zibqin. The Israeli military said it targeted two Hizbollah operatives in the area who were "attempting to rebuild Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites". Israel has continued to launch strikes on Lebanon despite a November 27 ceasefire that largely halted more than a year of hostilities, with raids this week in south Lebanon and even on Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold. The truce was based on a United Nations resolution that says Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers should be the only forces in south Lebanon, and calls for the disarmament of all non-state groups. The Lebanese official, speaking anonymously as they were not authorised to brief the media, said that on Saturday Ortagus discussed "intensifying and speeding up" the Lebanese army's work in "dismantling Hizbollah's military infrastructure, leading to restricting weapons to state hands, without setting a timetable". Under the truce, Hezbollah was to redeploy its fighters north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres from Israel, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south. Israel was to withdraw its forces across the UN-demarcated Blue Line, the de facto border, but has missed two deadlines to do so and continues to hold five positions in south Lebanon that it deems "strategic". Reforms Ortagus has not made any official statements, but Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam -- whose appointments earlier this year ended a more than two-year leadership vacuum -- said their discussions with her on Saturday were positive. They said the talks addressed the situation in the south as well as economic reforms. The Lebanese official said Ortagus had "implied" that the reconstruction of war-ravaged areas "requires first achieving reforms and the expansion of state authority". International creditors have long demanded reforms in order to unlock bailout funds that could help ease Lebanon's five-year economic collapse, which has been widely blamed on mismanagement and corruption. Lebanon's finance ministry said Ortagus met Sunday with Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, Economy Minister Amer Bisat and new central bank governor Karim Souaid. Discussions included "reforms initiated by the government... and the economic reform programme", a ministry statement said. It added that the bank chief and the two ministers would attend meetings with the International Monetary Fund in Washington later this month. The Lebanese official said Ortagus on Saturday "praised the government's reform plan, particularly the measures taken at the airport". Authorities have been enforcing stricter measures and readying new technology at Beirut airport, seeking to prevent all smuggling, including funds, to Hezbollah, a Lebanese security source told AFP, also requesting anonymity. Flights between Lebanon and Iran have been suspended since February after the United States warned that Israel might target Beirut airport to thwart alleged weapons shipments to Hezbollah, a Lebanese security source had told AFP at the time. Hizbollah was the only Lebanese armed group that refused to surrender its weapons following a 1975-1990 civil war. The group was left heavily weakened during its latest conflict with Israel.
Observer
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Israel targets south Lebanon amid US envoy visits
BEIRUT: A strike on Sunday that Israel said targeted Hezbollah killed two people in south Lebanon, according to authorities, as a US envoy was visiting for talks on the group and economic reforms. The strike came more than four months into a fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah, and a day after US deputy special envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus discussed disarming the group in meetings with senior figures, according to a Lebanese official. On Sunday in the south, near the Israeli border, the Lebanese health ministry said two people were killed in an "Israeli enemy" strike on the town of Zibqin. The Israeli military said it targeted two Hezbollah operatives in the area who were "attempting to rebuild Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites". Israel has continued to launch strikes on Lebanon despite a November 27 ceasefire that largely halted more than a year of hostilities, with raids this week in south Lebanon and even on Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold. The truce was based on a United Nations resolution that says Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers should be the only forces in south Lebanon, and calls for the disarmament of all non-state groups. The Lebanese official, speaking anonymously as they were not authorised to brief the media, said that on Saturday Ortagus discussed "intensifying and speeding up" the Lebanese army's work in "dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure, leading to restricting weapons to state hands, without setting a timetable". Under the truce, Hezbollah was to redeploy its fighters north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from Israel, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south. Israel was to withdraw its forces across the UN-demarcated Blue Line, the de facto border, but has missed two deadlines to do so and continues to hold five positions in south Lebanon that it deems "strategic". Ortagus has not made any official statements, but Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam — whose appointments earlier this year ended a more than two-year leadership vacuum — said their discussions with her on Saturday were positive. They said the talks addressed the situation in the south as well as economic reforms. The Lebanese official said Ortagus had "implied" that the reconstruction of war-ravaged areas "requires first achieving reforms and the expansion of state authority". International creditors have long demanded reforms in order to unlock bailout funds that could help ease Lebanon's five-year economic collapse. Lebanon's finance ministry said Ortagus met on Sunday with Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, Economy Minister Amer Bisat and new central bank governor Karim Souaid. Discussions included "reforms initiated by the government... and the economic reform programme", a ministry statement said. It added that the bank chief and the two ministers would attend meetings with the International Monetary Fund in Washington later this month. The Lebanese official said Ortagus on Saturday "praised the government's reform plan, particularly the measures taken at the airport". Authorities have been enforcing stricter measures and readying new technology at Beirut airport, seeking to prevent all smuggling, including funds, to Hezbollah, a Lebanese security source said, also requesting anonymity. Flights between Lebanon and Iran have been suspended since February after the United States warned that Israel might target Beirut airport to thwart alleged weapons shipments to Hezbollah, a Lebanese security source had said at the time. Hezbollah was the only Lebanese armed group that refused to surrender its weapons following a 1975-1990 civil war. The group was left heavily weakened during its latest conflict with Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have launched a ground offensive in Gaza City, the military said, expanding their operations as rescuers reported hundreds killed across the Palestinian territory. Since renewed military operations last month ended a short-lived truce in its war with Hamas, Israel has pushed to seize territory in the Gaza Strip in what it said was a strategy to force fighters to free hostages still in captivity. — AFP
Asharq Al-Awsat
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Lebanon Ministry Says Two Dead in Israeli Strike on South
Lebanon's health ministry said two people were killed Sunday in an Israeli strike on the country's south, as Israel said it hit Hezbollah operatives amid a fragile truce. The toll in the "strike launched by the Israeli enemy on the town of Zibqin rose to two dead", the health ministry said in a statement, adding that the toll was final after earlier reporting one dead. The Israeli military said it carried out an air strike targeting two Hezbollah operatives in the Zibqin area, adding in a statement that they were "attempting to rebuild Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites". A fragile ceasefire in late November largely halted more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, but Israel has continued to carry out strikes in Lebanon. The latest raid came after visiting US deputy special envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus discussed the situation in south Lebanon with senior officials on Saturday. On Friday, Israel killed a commander of Palestinian group Hamas in a pre-dawn raid in the south Lebanese port city of Sidon that also killed his adult son and daughter. A day earlier, Israel's military said it carried out an air strike targeting a Hezbollah member in south Lebanon. On Tuesday, Israel struck south Beirut, killing a Hezbollah Palestinian liaison officer, in only the second raid on the capital since the November 27 ceasefire. Lebanon's health ministry reported four dead in that strike, including a woman. Under the truce, Hezbollah was to redeploy its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south. Israel was to withdraw its forces across the UN-demarcated Blue Line, the de facto border, but has missed two deadlines to do so and continues to hold five positions in south Lebanon that it deems "strategic".
