One killed, two wounded in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon as fears of escalation grow
BEIRUT: One person was killed and two were wounded in an attack by Israeli soldiers in the Lebanese border town of Rab Al-Thalathin on Thursday, amid growing concerns about an escalation in fighting between Hezbollah. and Israel.
Hezbollah said it fired anti-aircraft missiles after Israeli warplanes entered southern Lebanese airspace, forcing them to retreat.
This comes when the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, in his report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 between February 21 and June 20 of this year, warned to warn the of “the extension of the destructive war on both sides of the Blue Line”.
Resolution 1701, which was passed in 2006 with the aim of ending that year's war between Israel and Hezbollah, calls for a cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, and the elimination of non-state armed groups, including Hezbollah.
In his latest report, Guterres highlighted the continuation of the conflict in southern Lebanon and said he “remains deeply concerned about the repeated violations of the ceasefire along the Blue Line since October 8, 2023. “
He warned that “the escalation of violence between Hezbollah and the non-governmental armed groups in Lebanon and the Israeli Defense Forces is having a serious impact on the civilian population on both sides of the “the Blue Line and poses a threat to the stability of Lebanon, Israel and the region,” and the “intensification and geographical expansion of trade, with ever-increasing rhetoric and the threat of full-scale war, is very frightening.”
The UN chief called on both sides to “immediately return to the full implementation of resolution 1701, immediately return to the cessation of hostilities and take advantage of all diplomatic channels, including the good offices of the United Nations, to prevent further suffering and disaster. , a devastating fire.”
Noting that “the trade shows the possession of weapons outside the jurisdiction of the state… by Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups, in violation of Resolution 1701,” he urged the Lebanese government to take all the actions “necessary to ensure that there will be. no weapons or power in Lebanon except that of the Lebanese government, including through the full implementation of” existing agreements and resolutions of the United Nations that “require the abolition of all armed groups in Lebanon.”
Guterres again condemned “all violations of Lebanese sovereignty by Israel” and called on Israeli authorities to “cease all flights over Lebanese territory.”
He also called on Lebanon's political leaders to take “resolute steps towards presidential elections to address the urgent political, economic and security issues facing the country”.
The presidency has been vacant since October 2022, when Michel Aoun's term ends, as the country's political parties have been unable to agree on a successor.
Guterres also said the ability of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon “to carry out its mandate is more critical than ever”, but warned that restrictions on freedom of movement power is still “very worrying”. He called on the Lebanese government to “talk about such incidents.”
Meanwhile, Israeli artillery fired on the outskirts of Kfarchouba town on Thursday morning as civilian defenders tried to put out fires caused by an earlier attack in the area earlier in the morning. No one was injured but civil defense teams were forced to suspend firefighting efforts. An Israeli drone launched a guided missile that targeted the same area.
The border of Aitaroun was also hit by artillery attacks, which caused fires, as did the area around the city of Naqoura. And the Israeli army targeted the area around the town of Mays Al-Jabal with phosphorous bombs. Although such weapons are not prohibited under international humanitarian law, the convention severely restricts their use in populated areas.
Also on Thursday, Hezbollah said it attacked and hit a building used by Israeli soldiers in the settlement of Manara in response to Wednesday's attack on Kfarhamam. The group said the military building in Shtula, a target in Hanita, and “intelligence equipment at the Birkat Risha site… leading to its destruction were also targeted.”
Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said the army had raided “Hezbollah camps and military buildings”.
