Israeli air strikes and artillery target south Lebanon overnight

Israeli war jets have launched a series of overnight air strikes in southern Lebanon targeting the Ali al-Taher Hill, the area between al-Dabsheh Hill and Douhat Kfar Reman, and the northern outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, the country’s National News Agency reports.

The Israeli air attacks were accompanied by artillery shelling across the region that also hit Ali al-Taher Hill, NNA said.

Israeli air attacks and huge explosions hit south Lebanon overnight

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reports that Israeli warplanes have launched overnight air attacks on the town of al-Mansouri in the south.

It said the town has also experienced a series of huge explosions that echoed across southern villages and towns.

Additionally, Israeli forces carried out explosions in the towns of Haddatha and at-Tiri in the Bint Jbeil district, NNA reported.

Israeli artillery shells southern Lebanese town

Intermittent Israeli artillery shelling has targeted the outskirts of Mayfadoun, near Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, in southern Lebanon this morning, according to the country’s National News Agency.
 

Lebanon ‘will spare no effort to achieve the complete Israeli withdrawal’: Salam

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that his government “will spare no effort to achieve the complete Israeli withdrawal and the return of our prisoners to their cities and villages,” according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

Salam traveled to Tyre and addressed soldiers deployed there following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the southern Lebanon city, according to the state-owned National News Agency.

The prime minister spoke to troops at the Benoit Barakat Barracks, and assured them that the country is mobilizing international support to ensure their welfare amid the “Israeli aggression.”

“Strengthening the army is not a secondary item in our government’s program, nor is it a technical matter; it is a strategic choice at the heart of our project to restore the state,” he said.

Defense Minister Michel Mansour, also speaking in Tyre, said the Lebanese army would not rest until it restores “the sovereignty of the state and every inch of our land.”

Lebanese troops and other security agencies have been de-mining formerly occupied areas and assisting displaced people who are returning home.

The Israelis maintain there utterance, that they will not leave Lebanon even there is no #Hezbollah.

Then, the Lebanese government itself have made a big mistake by not realizing that it agreed upon a framework that is written in a ambiguous language.

For instance, there is no concrete date and time added to something that the American "brokers" of the framework call "redeployment" instead "withdrawal."

So, what is the difference between redeployment and withdrawal in the context of war?

Withdrawal means pulling military forces out of a combat area or away from an enemy, while redeployment means moving forces and equipment to a new location, base, or assignment.

The so-called 'brokers' in the US, those who fabricated the framework, allow Israeli invaders to move from one place to another place in Southern Lebanon, which is redeploying thus remaining in Lebanon.

This is exactly what they where doing when the first so-called "pilot zone" came into effect. They moved to the areas surrounding the "pilot zone."

So, what the Lebanese prime minister was saying is delusional.

Israeli army carries out more explosions in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army has carried out a massive explosion in two stages in the area between the towns of Arnoun and Kfar Tebnit, in southern Lebanon, NNA reports.

It added that the explosion had reverberated throughout the southern towns.

Southern Lebanon has witnessed several Israeli attacks since morning.

Hezbollah rejects US claim that it operates under the control of the Quds Force

Hezbollah has rejected a US claim that the Lebanese group operates under the control of Iran’s Quds Force, an affiliate of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, after Washington announced new sanctions and updated its designation of the group.

In a statement, Hezbollah said the claim was being used to justify what it described as another step in a longstanding US policy of targeting the group, its supporters and its financial networks.

The group accused Washington of using sanctions to exert pressure on Lebanon and said the measures were aimed at weakening the country while protecting Israel.

Hezbollah acknowledged its close relationship with Tehran, saying: “Our close and fraternal relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran is one that we cherish and are proud of,” while insisting that it did not need Washington to attest to its Lebanese identity.

It accused the US of lacking the “moral or legal standing” to determine the legitimacy or national identity of other groups and countries.

Hezbollah said US sanctions and designations would not change its position, adding that they “will not deter us from adhering to the choice of resistance” or what it described as Lebanon’s right to defend its territory, sovereignty and resources.

The statement responds to US sanctions announced on Thursday, which updated Hezbollah’s designation to emphasise Washington’s assertion that it serves Iran under the Quds Force’s command.

There is no impartial evidence which shows whether Hezbollah is under control of Iran's Quds Force. Sources leading to "evidence" are Israeli and American.

Israel bombs ‘structure’ in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

The Israeli army says it has bombed a “structure” in the southern Lebanese village of Baraachit after identifying what it described as “suspects” entering the military’s buffer zone. The strike took place despite a ceasefire supposedly being in effect.

“Kfir Brigade forces under the command of the 91st Division identified earlier today several suspects who crossed the security zone line in the Barashit village area, entered a structure, and posed a threat to IDF forces. Following the identification, the Air Force, guided by the brigade’s forces, attacked the structure,” the Israeli army said in a post on X on Friday.

Israel has not provided any evidence to support its claim.

Human rights groups accuse Israel of deliberately destroying civilian infrastructure in Lebanon. Since launching its latest invasion of its neighbour in mid-March, the Israeli army has destroyed several villages in the country’s south entirely.

Israel reiterated its support for its agreement with Beirut on Friday. Under the agreement, Israel is supposed to gradually withdraw from Lebanon, handing over so-called “pilot zones” to the Lebanese army as it works to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah. However, critics say the deal is designed to entrench Israel’s occupation.

Lebanon’s Aoun and Italy’s Meloni discuss Israel’s ‘aggressions’ in Lebanon

President Joseph Aoun has met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and discussed the “continuation of Israeli aggressions” in Lebanon.

A statement from the Lebanese Presidency said they also spoke about “the necessity of pressuring Israel to commit to implementing the framework agreement reached in the Lebanese-American-Israeli negotiations in Washington.”

President Aoun thanked the Italian prime minister for her country’s hosting of the tripartite negotiations and for the Italian role in consolidating security and stability in the south.

Israel launches several attacks in southern Lebanon

Lebanon’s National News Agency is reporting that Israeli warplanes have launched two strikes on the Ali al-Taher ridge near al-Dabsha on the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, five minutes apart.

An attack near the town of Deir Siryan, a raid on Doha Kfar Rumman, and a bombing in the Mansouri area were also reported.

At least 4,348 killed by Israel in Lebanon, latest figures show

The Lebanese Ministry of Health says at least 4,348 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2, while more than 12,300 have been injured.

The ministry published its latest casualty figures on Friday.

It also published the death toll since the beginning of the current conflict, which began on October 8, 2023, a day after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel.

The ministry said at least 8,915 people had been killed since then and more than 30,540 injured.