One killed, two wounded in Israeli airstrike in Lebanon as fears of more violence mount
Beirut: One person was killed and two others were injured in an Israeli army attack on the Lebanese border village of Rab Al-Thalathin on Thursday, amid growing concerns over the escalation of the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
Hezbollah said it fired anti-aircraft missiles after Israeli warplanes entered southern Lebanon's airspace, forcing them to retreat.
It comes as UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned in a report on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 between February 21 and June 20 this year of “a destructive escalation of war on both sides of the Blue Line”.
Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006 with the aim of ending the war between Israel and Hezbollah that year, calls for an end to hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, and the disarmament of non-state armed groups, including Hezbollah.
In his latest report, Guterres highlighted the ongoing conflict in southern Lebanon and said he “remains deeply concerned by repeated violations of the ceasefire on the Blue Line since 8 October 2023.”
“The cycle of escalation between Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups in Lebanon and the Israel Defense Forces has had a devastating impact on civilians on both sides of the Blue Line and poses a grave threat to the stability of Lebanon, Israel and the region,” he warned. “The escalation and geographical expansion of the exchange of fire, coupled with increasingly aggressive rhetoric and threats of all-out war, are alarming.”
The UN Secretary-General called on both sides to “commit urgently to the full implementation of resolution 1701, to immediately resume the ceasefire, and to use all diplomatic channels, including the good offices of the United Nations, to avoid further suffering and the risk of a widespread and violent conflict.”
Noting that “the shooting demonstrates the possession of weapons outside of the State’s authority … by Hezbollah and other non-State armed groups, which is a violation of Resolution 1701,” he called on the Lebanese government to take all actions “necessary to ensure that there shall be no weapons or power in Lebanon other than those of the State of Lebanon, including through compliance” with existing agreements and UN resolutions “requiring all armed groups in Lebanon to disarm.”
Guterres again condemned “all Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty” and called on Israeli authorities to “stop all flights over Lebanese territory.”
He also called on Lebanon's political leaders to take decisive action in the 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 political factions in the country have failed to agree on a successor.
Guterres also said the ability of the UN interim force in Lebanon to “carry out its operational mandate is more important than ever,” but he warned that restrictions on freedom of movement of troops remained “deeply concerning.” He called on the Lebanese government to “address such developments.”
Meanwhile, Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of the village of Kfar Shuba early Thursday as civil defense forces tried to extinguish a fire caused by a dawn attack on the area. No one was injured, but civil defense forces had to stop fighting the fire. An Israeli drone fired a guided missile that targeted the same area.
The suburbs of Aitaroun were also hit by artillery fire, which set fires, as were areas around the town of Naqoura, and Israeli forces also hit areas around the town of Mays Al-Jabal with incendiary phosphorus bombs. Although such weapons are not banned under international humanitarian law, the convention strictly restricts their use in areas with large civilian populations.
Hezbollah also said on Thursday that it had attacked and hit buildings used by Israeli soldiers in the Manara settlement in retaliation for Wednesday’s attack on Kfar Hamam. The group also said it had hit military buildings in Stula, a target in Hanita, and “espionage equipment at the Bir Katricha site … leading to its destruction.”
Israeli military spokesman Avichai Adrai said the forces had struck “Hezbollah targets and military buildings.”
