Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon kill 1, wound 2, heighten tensions
BEIRUT: Israeli forces attacked the Lebanese border town of Rab al-Talatin on Thursday, killing one person and wounding two others, amid growing fears of an escalation in the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
Hezbollah said it fired anti-aircraft missiles after Israeli warplanes violated southern Lebanese airspace, forcing the Lebanese to retreat.
This comes as UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of “an escalation of destructive warfare on both sides of the Blue Line” in his report on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 from 21 February to 20 June this year.
Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006 to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah, calls for an end to hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, and the disarmament of non-state armed groups, including Hezbollah.
In a recent report, Guterres highlighted ongoing clashes in southern Lebanon and said he “remains deeply concerned by repeated violations of the cessation of hostilities along the Blue Line since 8 October 2023.”
“The escalating cycle of tensions between Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups in Lebanon and the Israel Defense Forces is having a serious 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 geographic expansion of the firefight, coupled with increasingly belligerent rhetoric and threats of all-out war, are deeply concerning,” he said.
The UN secretary-general urged both sides to “urgently recommit to the full implementation of Resolution 1701, to an immediate cessation of hostilities, and to use all diplomatic channels, including UN mediation, to avoid further suffering and the risk of more widespread and destructive conflagrations.”
“The exchange of fire demonstrates that Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups possess weapons outside the authority of the state, and is a violation of Resolution 1701,” it said, urging the Lebanese government to “take all necessary measures to ensure that there are no weapons in Lebanon outside the Lebanese state’s authority or authority,” including “fully implementing existing agreements and UN resolutions that call for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon.”
Guterres once again condemned “any violation of Lebanese sovereignty by Israel” and urged Israeli authorities to “cease all overflights over Lebanese territory.”
He also urged Lebanon's political leaders to take “decisive steps towards electing a president to address the country's urgent political, economic and security needs.”
The presidency has been vacant since Michel Aoun's term ends in October 2022, as the country's political establishment has failed to agree on a successor.
Guterres also said the UN interim force in Lebanon's ability to “implement its operational activities as mandated is more important than ever”, but warned that restrictions on the force's freedom of movement remained a “great concern”. He urged the Lebanese government to “address these incidents”.
Meanwhile, Israeli artillery fired shells on the outskirts of Kfarchouba on Thursday morning, while civil defense workers were trying to put out fires caused by attacks on the area in the early hours of the morning. There were no casualties, but civil defense workers were forced to call off their firefighting efforts. Israeli combat drones fired guided missiles at the same area.
The outskirts of Aitarun were also shelled and set on fire, as was the area around the village of Nakurah. And the Israeli army attacked the area around the village of Mays al-Jabal with incendiary phosphorus bombs. Such weapons are not prohibited under international humanitarian law, but their use in populated civilian areas is strictly prohibited by convention.
Hezbollah also said on Thursday that it had attacked and struck buildings used by Israeli soldiers in the settlement of Manara in response to Wednesday's attack on Kfarhamam. The group also said it had destroyed military buildings in Shtula, a target of Hanita, and “spy equipment at the Birkat Risha site… leading to the destruction.”
Israeli military spokesman Avichai Adri said the army “carried out airstrikes targeting Hezbollah targets and military buildings.”
