One killed, 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 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 Lebanese airspace, forcing them to withdraw.
It came as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his report on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 between February 21 and June 20 this year, warned against “expanding a destructive war on both sides of the Blue Line” .
Resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 to end 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 about the repeated violations of the cessation of hostilities across the Blue Line from 8 October 2023”.
He 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 serious threat to the stability of Lebanon, Israel and the region” and that ” the intensification and geographic expansion of the firefights, 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, return immediately to the cessation of hostilities and use all diplomatic channels, including the good offices of the UN, to avoid further suffering and the risk of a more extensive actions. , 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,” he called on the Lebanese government to take all measures “necessary to ensure that there will be that there be no arms or authority in Lebanon other than those of the Lebanese state, including by fully implementing “existing agreements and UN resolutions that “require the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon.”
Guterres again condemned “all violations of Lebanese sovereignty by Israel” and called on Israeli authorities to “cease all overflights of Lebanese territory.”
He also called on Lebanon's political leaders to take “decisive steps towards electing a president to address the pressing political, economic and security demands facing the country.”
The post of president has been vacant since October 2022, when Michel Aoun's term ended, as the country's political factions failed to agree on a successor.
Guterres also said the ability of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon “to implement its operational activities as mandated is more critical than ever”, but warned that restrictions on the force's freedom of movement remained of “great concern” . He called on the Lebanese government to “address any such 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 stop their firefighting efforts. An Israeli combat drone launched a guided missile that targeted the same area.
The outskirts of Aitaroun were also attacked by artillery, which caused fires, as did the areas around the city of Naqoura. And Israeli forces targeted areas around the town of Mays Al-Jabal with phosphorus incendiary bombs. Although such weapons are not prohibited by international humanitarian law, the conventions strongly restrict their use in populated civilian areas.
Also on Thursday, Hezbollah said it attacked and hit a building used by Israeli soldiers in the settlement of Manara in response to the attack on Kfarhamam on Wednesday. The group said it also targeted military buildings in Shtula, a target in Hanita, and “spying equipment at the Birkat Risha site … leading to its destruction.”
Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said forces carried out raids against “Hezbollah targets and targeted military buildings”.
