One dead, two wounded in Israeli airstrike in Lebanon as fears of escalation grow
BEIRUT: One person was killed and two were wounded in an Israeli military strike on the village of Rab Al-Thalathin, on the border with Lebanon, on Thursday, as concerns grow over the escalation of the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
Hezbollah said it fired anti-aircraft missiles after Israeli warplanes entered Lebanese airspace in the south, forcing them to retreat.
This comes as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his report on the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701 between 21 February and 20 June this year, warned against “the expansion of a destructive war on both sides of the Blue Line”.
Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006 with the aim of ending that year's war between Israel and Hezbollah, 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 clashes in southern Lebanon and said he “remains deeply concerned by the repeated violations of the cessation of hostilities along the Blue Line from 8 October 2023”.
It warned that “the cycle of escalation between Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups in Lebanon and the Israel Defense Forces is severely affecting civilian populations on both sides of the Blue Line and poses a grave threat to the stability of Lebanon, Israel and the region,” and that “the intensification and geographical expansion of exchanges of fire, coupled with increasingly bellicose rhetoric and threats of all-out war, are deeply alarming.”
The UN chief called on both sides to “urgently recommit to the full implementation of resolution 1701, to immediately cease hostilities and to avail themselves of all diplomatic channels, including the good offices of the United Nations, to avoid further suffering and the risk of a wider and more devastating conflagration.”
Noting that “the exchanges of fire demonstrate the possession of weapons outside the authority of the State … by Hezbollah and other non-State armed groups, in violation of resolution 1701,” it urged the Lebanese government to take all measures “necessary to ensure that there will be no weapons or authority in Lebanon other than that of the Lebanese State, including through the full implementation” of existing agreements and UN resolutions that “require the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon.”
Guterres once again condemned “all violations of Lebanese sovereignty by Israel” and called on the Israeli authorities “to cease all overflights of Lebanese territory”.
He also called on Lebanese political leaders to take “resolute steps towards electing a president who addresses the urgent political, economic and security needs facing the country.”
The post of president has been vacant since October 2022, when Michel Aoun's term expires, as the country's political factions have failed to agree on a successor.
Guterres also said the ability of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon “to implement its operational activities as intended is more critical than ever,” but warned that restrictions on the force's freedom of movement remain a “major concern.” He called on the Lebanese government “to address these incidents.”
Meanwhile, Israeli artillery fired on the outskirts of the village of Kfarchouba on Thursday morning as members of the civil defense tried to put out a fire caused by an earlier attack on the area at dawn. No one was injured, but civil defense teams had to halt their firefighting efforts. An Israeli combat drone fired a guided missile that targeted the same area.
The outskirts of Aitaroun were also subjected to artillery attacks, which caused fires, as were areas around the town of Naqoura. And Israeli forces targeted areas around the town of Mays Al-Jabal with phosphorus incendiary bombs. Although such weapons are not prohibited under international humanitarian law, conventions severely limit their use in civilian-populated areas.
Also on Thursday, Hezbollah said it attacked and struck a building used by Israeli soldiers in the Manara settlement in response to an attack on Kfarhamam on Wednesday. The group said it also targeted military buildings in Shtula, a target in Hanita, and “espionage equipment at the Birkat Risha site … leading to its destruction.”
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said forces carried out raids against “Hezbollah targets and targeted military buildings.”
