2 killed, 1 injured in Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon
Beirut, June 29 (UNI) Two people were killed and one injured on Saturday evening in an Israeli drone strike on the town of Mahrouna in southern Lebanon, according to a Lebanese security source and official media.
The security source, speaking to the reporters on condition of anonymity, said the strike targeted a man riding a motorcycle, killing him on the spot. A woman in a passing vehicle was also killed, while her husband, who was in the same vehicle, was injured.
The source identified the man on the motorcycle as Abbas Wahbi, a Hezbollah member from Mahrouna. The woman was identified as a resident of the village of Jwaya in southern Lebanon.
The official National News Agency confirmed both the drone strike and the casualties.
The incident occurred despite a ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, brokered by
the United States and France, which has been in place since Nov. 27, 2024.
The deal was intended to end more than a year of cross-border clashes triggered by the war in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army continues to carry out occasional strikes in Lebanon, citing the need to eliminate Hezbollah threats.
In a speech on Saturday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said that Hezbollah had fully adhered to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, while accusing Israel of failing to uphold its commitments.
"Israel's ongoing violations in southern Lebanon are unacceptable and will not go unanswered," he said.
He also reaffirmed the group's readiness to confront future Israeli actions and said Hezbollah would not be deterred by threats or external pressure.
UNI/XINHUA BM
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Donald Trump again claims US strikes caused ‘final damage' to Iran's nuclear program, but UN watchdog has DOUBTS
Iran's nuclear program suffered significant damage from recent U.S. airstrikes but was not destroyed, and it could be operational again within months, according to the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog. In contrast, President Donald Trump offered a far more definitive assessment, telling Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures that the main nuclear site was reduced to 'just thousands of tons of rock in that room right now,' claiming the entire facility had been destroyed, adding 'we did the final damage'. "They did not move anything; they moved themselves. What we did was amazing; there were energy commissions that went there, and there were thousands of tons of rocks in the room. Everything was destroyed. And, the other two sites also. We did the final damage," said Trump. The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, stated that recent US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities fell short of causing lasting damage to Tehran's nuclear capabilities. Grossi warned that Iran could resume uranium enrichment within 'a matter of months,' directly contradicting Donald Trump's claim that the strikes had 'completely and totally obliterated' the program and set it back by decades, CNN reported. Responding to conflicting assessments of recent U.S. strikes on Iran, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), cautioned that Iran retains the capability to quickly resume its nuclear activities. Speaking to CBS's Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, Grossi criticized the idea of relying on short-term military setbacks to counter long-term nuclear threats, CNN reported. 'This hourglass approach in weapons of mass destruction is not a good idea,' Grossi said. He explained that Iran still possesses the infrastructure to restart uranium enrichment rapidly: 'They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that.' He added, 'Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there.' The 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which began earlier this month, was triggered by a surprise Israeli offensive targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Israel claimed the strikes were intended to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. In response, Iran strongly denied any nuclear weapons ambitions, reiterating that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. Meanwhile, Tehran's nuclear program was also significantly damaged by the strikes, killing key scientists, damage to Iran's missile production industry and battering Iran's aerial defence system, according to the Israelis' assessment. (With inputs from agencies)
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"Make Them Regret": Iran's Top Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Trump, Netanyahu
Tehran: Iran's top Shiite cleric has issued a 'fatwa' or religious decree against US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling them "enemies of God". The decree from Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi called on Muslims across the world to unite and bring down the American and Israeli leaders for threatening the Islamic republic leadership. "Any person or regime that threatens the Leader or Marja (May God forbid) is considered a 'warlord' or a 'mohareb'," Makarem said in the ruling, according to Mehr News Agency. A mohareb is someone who wages war against God, and under Iranian law, those identified as mohareb can face execution, crucifixion, limb amputation, or exile, according to a report by Fox News. The fatwa added that "any cooperation or support for that enemy by Muslims or Islamic states is haram or forbidden. It is necessary for all Muslims around the world to make these enemies regret their words and mistakes." It also said that if a "Muslim who abides by his Muslim duty suffer hardship or loss in their campaign, they will be rewarded as a fighter in the way of God, God willing." The religious decree followed a 12-day war that erupted on June 13, when Israel launched a bombing campaign in Iran that killed top military commanders and scientists linked to its nuclear programme. Tehran responded with ballistic missile attacks on Israeli cities. Israel said it aimed to keep the Islamic republic from developing an atomic weapon -- an ambition Tehran has consistently denied. The fighting culminated after the US joined Israeli forces to attack three of Iran's nuclear facilities, following which Iran bombarded an American military base in Qatar. What's A Fatwa? A fatwa is an interpretation of Islamic law issued by a Marja--a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia religious cleric. It calls on all Muslims, including the Islamic governments and individuals, to ensure its enforcement. It is not the first time Iranian clerics have used fatwas to call for violence against an individual. The most infamous case of a fatwa was one issued in 1989 against author Salman Rushdie after the release of his novel "The Satanic Verses," which many Muslims considered offensive. That decree called for Rushdie's killing, forcing him into hiding. It led to the murder of a Japanese translator and multiple attacks on the book's publishers. Since then, Rushdie has been subjected to multiple assassination attempts, including a 2023 stabbing attack in upstate New York in which he lost an eye.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
After War With Iran, Netanyahu Sees 'Opportunities' To Rescue Gaza Hostages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday the 12-day war with Iran had created opportunities for Israel, and the first was the return of hostages held in Gaza by Palestinian militants who attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. His remarks, coupled with the Jerusalem District Court's postponement of his testimony this week in his long-running corruption trial, gave rise to speculation that progress may be made to end the Gaza conflict and secure the hostages' release. The court accepted on Sunday Netanyahu's request for the delay, citing classified diplomatic and security grounds. US President Donald Trump had suggested on Saturday the trial could interfere with the Israeli leader's ability to negotiate. Israel's military Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said on Friday the war in Iran, which ended on June 24, could help advance Israeli objectives against the Iranian-backed Hamas group in the Gaza Strip. Israeli public radio Kan said Israel's security cabinet had met on Sunday evening and would meet again on Monday. Israel's strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, a confidant of Netanyahu's, was expected on Monday at the White House for talks on Iran and Gaza, Israeli media said. On a Sunday visit to a security facility of Israel's Shin Bet domestic intelligence service, Netanyahu said: "I want to inform you that as you probably know, many opportunities have opened up now following this victory, many opportunities." "First of all, to rescue the hostages. Of course we will also have to solve the Gaza issue, to defeat Hamas, but I estimate that we will achieve both tasks," he said, according to a statement issued by his office. Israeli advocates for the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza, known as the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters, said his statement prioritising the hostages was a first. "The families of the hostages welcome the fact that after 20 months, the return of the hostages has finally been designated as the top priority by the prime minister," they said. "This is a very important statement that must translate into a single comprehensive deal to bring back all 50 hostages and end the fighting in Gaza," their statement said. Of the 50 hostages, only 20 are believed to be alive. Trump said on Saturday that Netanyahu was "right now" negotiating a deal with Hamas, though neither leader provided details, and officials on both sides have voiced scepticism over prospects for a ceasefire soon. The US has proposed a 60-day ceasefire and a release of half the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians. Hamas would release the remaining hostages once a permanent ceasefire was in place. On Sunday, the Israeli military ordered Palestinians to evacuate areas in northern Gaza before intensified fighting against Hamas. A Hamas official told Reuters the group had informed mediators it was ready to resume ceasefire talks, but reaffirmed the group's outstanding demands that any deal must end the war and secure an Israeli withdrawal from the coastal territory. Israel says it can only end the war if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms. Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people and took 251 captives back to Gaza in their attack on Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis.
