Hezbollah condemns ongoing Israeli attacks and criticizes government’s approach to negotiations
Hezbollah condemned what it described as Israel’s ongoing escalation against Lebanon, accusing the United States of supporting the attacks and the Lebanese government of failing to protect the country.
In a statement, the group said Israel was continuing its campaign of “killing, bombardment, destruction and systematic demolition of homes and villages,” adding that Thursday’s attacks killed four people and wounded dozens.
Hezbollah accused the Lebanese government of a “total absence” in fulfilling its responsibilities and of persisting in what it described as “wrong choices marked by submission and surrender.”
The group said the ongoing Israeli attacks were being carried out with “the full collaboration, cover and planning of the United States,” aimed at pressuring Lebanese authorities to implement a known agenda, “even if this plunges Lebanon into the quagmire of internal conflicts.”
Hezbollah also criticized the government’s direct negotiations with Israel and the framework agreement between the two sides, saying Israel’s continued occupation, attacks and destruction demonstrated the failure of the process.
The group stressed that the release of some Lebanese detainees was important but “cannot serve as a pretext to obscure the continued aggression, occupation and killing of Lebanese.”
Hezbollah called on Lebanese authorities to “reconsider their calculations,” set aside their differences and return to what it described as “unifying national principles” that protect Lebanon’s sovereignty.
It also urged Lebanese citizens to “stand united behind a unified national position” to preserve the country’s strength and sovereignty, as well as its ability to confront Israeli attacks.
Bekaa man killed in Israeli strike on Ramadieh
Mohammad Hussein Munzer, from the town of Tamnine al-Fawqa in the Bekaa, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Ramadieh (Sour) last night, according to local reports.
Parachute-like object spotted over Zawtar al-Sharqieh as Israeli fire targets outskirts of locality
An object resembling a parachute was spotted flying over Zawtar al-Sharqieh (Nabatieh) and surrounding areas. Its nature and what it was carrying remain unknown, according to local reports.
An Israeli Merkava tank stationed inside the locality bombarded the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqieh. Fires subsequently spread near the locality toward Mayfadoun following the shelling.
Western powers draft UN resolution to refer Iran to Security Council
The United States, Britain, France and Germany have drafted a resolution that could be submitted to the governing board of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, seeking to refer Iran’s noncompliance with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations to the U.N. Security Council, diplomats told The Associated Press, according to Haaretz.
According to an AP report, Iran’s obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons require it to declare all its nuclear materials and activities and allow inspectors from the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency to verify that none of those materials is diverted to non-peaceful uses.
The draft resolution calls on IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to transmit the resolution, along with previously adopted resolutions, to all IAEA member states, the Security Council and the U.N. General Assembly, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the IAEA statute.
According to diplomats, the resolution is still being negotiated and has not yet been formally submitted to the board. The draft could therefore still change, as board members may propose amendments.
Senior Iranian official says US sanctions will not make country ‘ineffective’
Iran’s first vice president said the United States had “resorted to economic warfare” after failing to achieve its objectives through military means.
“The foundation of the new fronts opened by the enemy is economic; we can successfully confront them by drawing on valuable experiences, particularly those gained at the headquarters tasked with combating sanctions,” Mohammad Reza Aref said.
“Sanctions have a cost and slow our momentum, but they cannot make the country ineffective. One benefit of sanctions has been the shift from an assembly-based industry to local production, which has effectively reduced dollar-denominated purchases from abroad,” he added.
Israeli strikes kill three and wound 23 yesterday evening, Health Ministry says
Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley killed three people and wounded 23 yesterday evening, the Health Ministry said.
An Israeli strike on Ramadieh (Sour) killed one person and wounded 15 others, including six members of the Risala Scouts medical team (Amal Movement), three women and two children.
An Israeli strike targeting a motorcycle killed two people in Kfar Remmane (Nabatiyeh), the ministry said.
Israeli strikes wounded three people in Nabatieh al-Fawqa (Nabatieh), including one woman, and four others in Mayfadoun (Nabatieh), including two women.
An Israeli strike also wounded a Syrian national in Ain al-Tineh (West Bekaa), according to the ministry.
Media report explosions near Kharg Island in the Gulf
Iranian media reported “several explosions” heard near Kharg Island, which houses the country’s main oil terminal in the Gulf, amid renewed hostilities with the United States. The Fars news agency reported “several explosions” but said no smoke was visible, while local agency SNN reported that “an Iranian oil tanker was targeted by the United States” near the island.
Iranian and U.S. authorities have not immediately commented on the reports.
Clashes between the two sides resumed Sunday with U.S. attacks on Iran, as the conflict entered its seventh month.
Israeli army says it struck “Hezbollah targets” in southern Lebanon after drone attack
The Israeli army said it struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon overnight, including weapons depots, following what it described as an attempted drone attack against Israeli soldiers in a designated security zone.
According to the Israeli army, a drone was launched Friday toward its soldiers. No Israeli military personnel were wounded.
The army said the strikes targeted facilities that it claimed were intended to plan and direct attacks against Israeli forces and Israeli civilians. It added that the strikes were carried out to eliminate what it described as an immediate threat.
Israeli army carries out three detonations in Mansouri
The Israeli army carried out three detonations this morning in Mansouri (Sour), according to our southern Lebanon correspondent.
Overnight escalation in southern Lebanon: Israeli strikes kill and wound several
Israeli warplanes carried out a series of heavy airstrikes yesterday evening targeting occupied homes located outside the so-called “Yellow Line,” according to our correspondent in the region.
The strikes targeted Ramadieh (Sour), Kfar Rummane, Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Mayfadoun and Kfour in the Nabatieh district. A woman was killed and six people were wounded in Ramadieh, two people were killed in Kfar Rummane and an 18-year-old woman was killed in Mayfadoun, while several others were wounded.
The strikes continued after 10 p.m., with two consecutive airstrikes targeting Nabatieh al-Fawqa, accompanied by artillery fire. After 11 p.m., Israeli forces fired machine guns toward Hadatha (Bint Jbeil), while Wadi Slouki was targeted by seven artillery shells.
Around midnight, a surface-to-surface missile launched from Israeli territory targeted the building of the Ghandour family association, located opposite Ghandour Hospital in Nabatieh al-Fawqa. Dohat Kfar Rummane (Nabatieh) was also targeted by artillery fire.
Around 2 a.m., Israeli artillery targeted Wadi al-Houjeir (Marjayoun), before artillery fire targeted Bani Hayyan (Marjayoun) after 3 a.m.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of developments in Lebanon, particularly in the south, where a new escalation by the Israeli army is underway in retaliation for a “drone attack” by Hezbollah. This comes two days after Thursday evening’s surprise announcement that the Israeli army had taken “operational control” of the strategic Ali Taher hill, a claim that has not yet been confirmed or denied by other sources.
We will also follow developments between Iran and the United States in this live coverage, amid renewed hostilities this week. The conflict is entering its seventh month, while negotiations remain deadlocked.
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