
Israeli Strike on South Lebanon Kills One
The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said a man was killed when an Israeli drone targeted his car as he was heading to pray at a mosque in Deir al-Zahrani, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Israeli border.
Israel has continued to bomb Lebanon despite the November 27 truce that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, including two months of open war.
The Israeli army said the strike killed a regional commander "of Hezbollah's rocket array".
It charged that during the conflict, the operative "advanced numerous projectile attacks... and was involved recently in efforts to reestablish Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure" in south Lebanon.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hezbollah fighters were to pull back north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, and dismantle military infrastructure to its south.
Israel was to withdraw all forces from Lebanon but it has kept troops in five areas it deems "strategic".
The Lebanese army has deployed in the south and has been dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Jewish group welcomes local English council backing of Gaza ceasefire and friendship links
LONDON: A Jewish advocacy group has praised an English local council's recognition of 'friendship links' with the Gazan town of Al-Mawasi as 'an important act of solidarity' after councilors passed a motion backing an immediate ceasefire in the region, it was reported on Friday. Last week, Hastings Borough Council voted to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, an end to arms sales to Israel and continued support for its civic ties with Al-Mawasi, an area in southern Gaza that was declared a safe zone by the Israeli military in December 2023, but has since faced repeated attacks. Hastings Jews for Justice welcomed the move. 'We stand with the Palestinians in Gaza who are being slaughtered and starved right now, and we demand immediate action of our politicians,' they said. 'We applaud all the councilors who chose to stand on the right side of history and used their voice and their vote to fight these crimes against humanity. 'And we reject the idea, shared by several Labour councillors during the debate, that standing up for a people facing genocide is an attack on Jewish people in our community or 'divisive',' they added. The motion, which had been attempted several times over the past 21 months, passed following the local elections that changed the council's political makeup. It was carried by a majority of 14 Green and Hastings Independent Group councilors, with three voting against and 11 abstentions, mostly from Labour. Proposing the motion, Green Party councilor Yunis Smith said: 'We must ask ourselves, when the dust settles, will we have done enough? Will we be able to say that we stood up even when it was difficult? 'Or will we, like generations before us, say that we saw the signs and still we did nothing?' Smith added: 'From one coastal town to another, we've shown that solidarity, dignity and human connection shine brighter than cruelty. Al-Mawasi, like Hastings, is defined not just by its land but by the resilience of its people. 'They survive, endure and beckon us to witness their struggle and their strength.' The friendship between the two communities has been fostered by Hastings Friends of Al-Mawasi, which has developed a language exchange and solidarity program in recent years. The group said there has been a 'marked escalation of threatening and abusive behavior' in the town toward those expressing support for Palestine. Hastings has now joined a growing list of UK councils that have formally called for a ceasefire in Gaza. Hastings Jews for Justice added: 'This is an important act of solidarity with a people who are being made to suffer in the most horrific ways imaginable and we are determined to show that as British Jews it is not in our names.' Council leader Glen Haffenden of the Greens has reportedly received more correspondence from constituents on the issue than on any other since being elected. Meanwhile, Sussex Police have launched an investigation following reports that a woman was assaulted while wearing a keffiyeh at the De La Warr Pavilion in nearby Bexhill.


Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Israel strike kills one in south Lebanon
BEIRUT: An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon on Friday killed one person, authorities said, with the Israeli military identifying the slain man as an official with militant group Hezbollah. Israel has repeatedly struck Lebanon despite a November ceasefire that sought to end over a year of hostilities with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The Lebanese health ministry said Friday that 'an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the village of Baraachit resulted in one dead.' The Israeli military said it had 'eliminated the personnel officer for Hezbollah's Bint Jbeil sector,' near the Israeli border. The man 'was involved in efforts to rehabilitate the terrorist organization in the Bint Jbeil area of southern Lebanon and operated to recruit terrorists during the war,' a military statement said. On Thursday, Israel said it had struck Hezbollah weapons depots and a rocket launcher, and 'eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist' in Lebanon's south. Under the November truce, Hezbollah was to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, leaving Lebanon's army and United Nations peacekeepers as the only armed parties in the region. Israel was to withdraw its troops from Lebanon but has kept them in five areas it deems strategic.


Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
UK, French and German leaders press Israel over Gaza aid after Macron backs a Palestinian state
LONDON: The leaders of Britain, France and Germany demanded Israel allow unrestricted aid into Gaza to end a 'humanitarian catastrophe,' after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country will become the first major Western power to recognize a Palestinian state. The joint statement, issued after a call between Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, called for an immediate ceasefire and said that 'withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable,' though it broke no new diplomatic ground. The leaders said they 'stand ready to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political process that leads to lasting security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region,' but did not say what that action might be. France's move exposes European divisions Macron's surprise announcement exposed differences among the European allies, known as the E3, over how to ease the worsening humanitarian crisis and end the Israel-Hamas war. All three support a Palestinian state in principle, but Germany said it has no immediate plans to follow France's step, which Macron plans to formalize at the United Nations General Assembly in September. Britain has not followed suit either, but Starmer is under mounting pressure to formally recognize Palestinian statehood, both from opposition lawmakers and from members of his own Labour Party government. Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Tuesday called for an announcement 'while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognize.' On Friday, 221 of the 650 lawmakers in the House of Commons signed a letter urging Starmer to recognize a Palestinian state. 'Since 1980 we have backed a two-state solution. Such a recognition would give that position substance,' said the letter, signed by legislators from several government and opposition parties. After the E3 call on Friday, Starmer condemned 'the continued captivity of hostages, the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups, and Israel's disproportionate military escalation in Gaza.' He said that 'recognition of a Palestinian state' must be one of the steps on a pathway to peace. 'I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis,' he said. More than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state, including a dozen in Europe. But France is the first Group of Seven country and the largest European nation to take that step. Israel and the United States both denounced France's decision. Britain has long supported the idea of an independent Palestinian state existing alongside Israel, but has said recognition should come as part of a negotiated two-state solution to the conflict. Any such solution appears far off. There had been no substantive Israel-Palestinian negotiations for years even before the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and sparked the current war. Humanitarian crisis alarms Israel's allies The worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where hunger is spreading and children have starved to death, has caused alarm even among Israel's closest allies. Germany has traditionally been a particularly staunch ally of Israel in Europe, with relations rooted in the history of the Holocaust. It says recognizing a Palestinian state should be 'one of the concluding steps' in negotiating a two-state solution and it 'does not plan to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term.' But Berlin, too, has sharpened its tone recently, describing the Israeli military's actions in Gaza as unacceptable and pushing for greater humanitarian aid, but still appears to favor trying to influence Israeli officials by direct contact. The German government said in a statement on Friday that it is in a 'constant exchange' with the Israeli government and other partners on issues that include a ceasefire in Gaza and the need to drastically improve humanitarian aid. It said it is 'prepared to increase the pressure' if there is no progress, but didn't elaborate on how. Britain has halted some arms sales to Israel, suspended free trade talks and sanctioned far-right government ministers and extremist settlers, but Starmer is under intense pressure to do more. Also weighing on Starmer is his desire to maintain good relations with the US administration, which has strongly criticized France's decision. The British leader is due to meet President Donald Trump in the next few days while the president is in Scotland visiting two golf courses he owns there. Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at the international affairs think-tank Chatham House, said Macron's decision to defer finalizing recognition until September 'creates some space' for other countries to get on board. 'We know that the UK is close, but not there,' he said. 'This might encourage Starmer, who we know is not one to rush such a decision. … This might create some momentum, some dynamic, for the UK'