Lebanese President Orders Israeli Forces to Be Stopped

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has ordered the army to be strong against any Israeli aggression after a new incursion by Israeli forces into southern Lebanon and the killing of a man. Lebanon claims that Israeli troops crossed the border into the Blida area on Wednesday night and killed one person.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned the incident, calling it a “naked attack on Lebanon’s national sovereignty and state institutions.” Since October 7, 2023, Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah have been engaged in a war in Gaza. Many civilians have been killed and thousands of Lebanese families have been displaced by shelling in border areas. Lebanon claims that these Israeli attacks violate the UN-sanctioned Blue Line border. Al Jazeera reports.

Israel, on the other hand, said it was taking action in response to Hezbollah attacks. According to analysts, “a full-scale ground operation in southern Lebanon could quickly escalate into a regional war, involving Iran and other parties.”

Despite the US-backed ceasefire, Israel has carried out fresh air strikes in the Mahmudieh and Zarmak areas, Lebanon’s state news agency National News Agency reported. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The Israeli military claims it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure. Hours before the attack, an Israeli statement officially acknowledged the ground incursion into the southern Lebanese village of Blida overnight.

Israeli military spokesman Avichai Adraee said, “We identified a suspect inside a building and attempted to stop him. We were forced to open fire because we identified an immediate threat.”