logo
Concrete factory blown up by Israeli army in Yaroun

Concrete factory blown up by Israeli army in Yaroun

L'Orient-Le Jour20 hours ago
Amid intensified Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon, new attacks were reported late Sunday. Three Israeli artillery shells targeted the outskirts of the town of Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya district), according to our correspondent in the south.
The Israeli army also destroyed a concrete factory in Yaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon, overnight from Saturday to Sunday after infiltrating Lebanese territory, according to sources from our correspondent in the South, Muntasser Abdallah. Later in the day, an Israeli drone dropped leaflets over the town claiming that the demolished factory had been 'working for the benefit of Hezbollah.'
The explosion occurred amid ongoing Israeli artillery fire reported throughout the night in southern Lebanon. According to our correspondent, around 3 a.m., two loud explosions were heard in the Bint Jbeil area during the detonation of the factory, sparking panic in nearby villages.
Several hours later, an Israeli drone dropped leaflets over Yaroun — a village heavily damaged in the last war between Hezbollah and Israel — to justify the destruction of the facility. 'There is no economic benefit to cooperating with Hezbollah. This site was working for Hezbollah, which continues to threaten the region and drag it into danger,' the leaflets read.
On Saturday evening around 9 p.m., two Israeli patrol boats crossed the maritime buoy line demarcating the exclusive economic zones of Lebanon and Israel and approached a Lebanese fishing boat off the coast of Naqoura (Sour district). An Israeli drone then dropped a stun grenade near the Lebanese vessel.
Overnight strikes
At around 10 p.m., Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of Alma al-Shaab (Sour) multiple times. Other artillery strikes targeted the periphery of Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil), using incendiary shells that ignited fires.
Separately, Israeli army Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced late Saturday night on X that Israeli forces had 'conducted a strike and eliminated Ahmad Mohammad Salah,' identified as 'the commander of Hezbollah's unit in charge of the Yohmor area' in the Nabatiyeh district. According to the statement, Salah had been working on reconstructing Hezbollah infrastructure in the area.
Salah was reportedly killed earlier Saturday in a drone strike while riding a motorcycle in Yohmor al-Chaqif, according to our sources. Another man was killed earlier that day in a separate drone strike on Khiam (Marjayoun), which the Israeli army claimed targeted a 'member of the Radwan Force,' Hezbollah's elite unit.
Since the cease-fire that took effect on Nov. 27, the Israeli army has conducted near-daily airstrikes on Lebanon — primarily in the South and the Bekaa — killing more than 270 people. Israeli forces continue to occupy five positions inside Lebanese territory along the border, from which they launch attacks and conduct regular incursions into southern villages.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Rai: Diaspora voting for only 6 MPs instead of all 128 'form of exclusion'
Rai: Diaspora voting for only 6 MPs instead of all 128 'form of exclusion'

L'Orient-Le Jour

time14 minutes ago

  • L'Orient-Le Jour

Rai: Diaspora voting for only 6 MPs instead of all 128 'form of exclusion'

Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai took a stand on Sunday during a Mass in Anaya, in the heights of Jbeil, in favor of Lebanese expatriates voting for all 128 members of Parliament, rather than for six additional MPs elected exclusively by the diaspora. During a Mass celebrating Saints Charbel and Elias, the head of the Maronite Church argued that Article 112 of the electoral law, which provides for these six extra seats, "annuls the right of Lebanese abroad to vote in their original constituencies" and constitutes a "violation of the Constitution and the principle of equality." The Mass took place at the Saint Maron Monastery, in the presence of the head of state, Joseph Aoun, his wife Nemat and several political leaders. Patriarch's meeting with prime minister yesterday Salam received by Rai Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri blocked on June 30 an amendment to the electoral law that would have allowed the diaspora to elect the 128 MPs in their original constituencies, as was the case in 2018 and 2022, rather than six parliamentarians specifically for emigrants. Lebanese expatriates had a significant influence on the overall results in the 2022 elections, which saw the election of approximately a dozen MPs from the substantial 2019 protest movement. 'Contrary to equality principle' between Lebanese residents, expatriates "While Lebanon faces existential threats, we are now witnessing divisions among political leaders concerning Article 112 of the current electoral law, which was suspended in the 2018 and 2022 polls," Rai said in his homily. He argued that "the creation of six constituencies reserved for expatriates goes against the principle of equality between residents and emigrants, guaranteed by the Constitution." In Rai's view, "limiting expatriates to six parliamentary seats undermines their connection with their homeland and their families and deprives them of participating in political life. What we see in Article 112 is a form of exclusion." He called for "Lebanese from the diaspora to be able to vote freely based on their original constituencies," thus urging the abolition of Article 112. 'Few words, many deeds' Addressing the president, Rai said that his "visit to the tomb of Saint Charbel is a sign of hope. Lebanon needs leaders like Saints Charbel and Elias: few words, many deeds." "Your presence today confirms that Lebanon, despite everything, remains built upon two fundamental pillars: God and his saints. We pray that God grants you patience and wisdom to lead Lebanon, which is currently going through a delicate and challenging period, requiring deep reflection to overcome. You believe in it and you work for it," he continued. Saint Charbel, born Youssef Makhlouf, was a 19th-century Maronite monk and priest. He is celebrated on the third Sunday of July by the Maronite Church and on July 24 by the Latin Church. He is among the most venerated and popular saints in Lebanon. Saint Elias, meanwhile, commemorates the Old Testament prophet Elijah every July 20.

Man stabbed to death in Mais al-Jabal
Man stabbed to death in Mais al-Jabal

L'Orient-Le Jour

time14 minutes ago

  • L'Orient-Le Jour

Man stabbed to death in Mais al-Jabal

The body of a man was found Monday morning in Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun), L'Orient Today's correspondent in in the region reported. The victim, a Lebanese national from Habboush (Nabatieh), worked in purchasing and collecting scrap iron and metals in the area. He had been reported missing the day before. His body, which showed signs of injuries from a sharp weapon, was discovered on the road leading to the Mais al-Jabal government hospital. Police went to the scene and opened an investigation. A Syrian national who worked with the victim is actively being sought. He was reportedly seen with the victim on Sunday in a pickup truck on the streets of Mais al-Jabal, before disappearing and not returning home as he usually does. The army and intelligence services are continuing the search to locate him. In a statement, the municipality of Mais al-Jabal denounced the 'heinous crime' and said it had taken measures, in coordination with the security forces, 'to shed light on the circumstances' of the murder. 'The municipality will take appropriate measures against Syrians who are not registered' in its registers, the text added, calling on business and factory owners to register their workers 'as soon as possible.' It further denounced 'the state's inability to protect its population.'

Israel bombs Yemeni port of Hodeida, newly rebuilt dock destroyed, Houthis say
Israel bombs Yemeni port of Hodeida, newly rebuilt dock destroyed, Houthis say

L'Orient-Le Jour

time15 minutes ago

  • L'Orient-Le Jour

Israel bombs Yemeni port of Hodeida, newly rebuilt dock destroyed, Houthis say

'Yemen's fate is the same as Tehran's,' Katz says Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the strikes targeted "terrorist targets" of the Houthi rebels in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah. "As I have made clear, the fate of Yemen is the same as that of Tehran. The Houthis will pay a heavy price for the missile attacks on the State of Israel," he stated. 11:32 Beirut Time Iran accuses Europeans of not respecting the 2015 agreement Iran blamed European countries for the failure of the 2015 nuclear deal and accused them of failing to keep their commitments, a foreign ministry spokesperson said ahead of talks in Istanbul on Friday with France, the United Kingdom and Germany, AFP reported. "The European parties were at fault and negligent in implementing" the nuclear deal, said foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghai. Paris, London and Berlin are threatening to reinstate U.N. sanctions against Iran as permitted by the deal, accusing Tehran of failing to respect its nuclear commitments. 11:32 Beirut Time Israeli army claims to have struck Houthi 'military targets' in Hodeida port In a statement published by its Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army claimed to have carried out strikes on Houthi "military targets" in the port of Hodeida. "The targeted infrastructure included engineering machinery used for the reconstruction of port structures, fuel barrels, ships used for military activities, ships near the port, and other infrastructure used by the Houthi terrorist regime," the army said. 11:09 Beirut Time Authorities evacuate Bedouin families from Sweida Syrian authorities are evacuating Bedouin families from the predominantly Druze town of Sweida, thanks to a cease-fire that ended bloody clashes between the two communities, according to AFP correspondents and state media. An AFP correspondent on the outskirts of the devastated city saw a convoy of four buses and cars entering and leaving Sweida, loaded with civilians, including women and children. They were taken to reception centers in Daraa, further south, and in Damascus, in coordination with the Syrian Red Crescent, the equivalent of the Red Cross, he said. According to the state-run Syrian news agency SANA, 1,500 people from Bedouin tribes are to be evacuated. 10:22 Beirut Time 'Massive' Israeli offensive on Deir al-Balah Israeli airstrikes have intensified on Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, and the al-Bureij refugee camp in recent hours, according to several Palestinian media outlets and Al Jazeera. Witnesses also told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that the strikes on Deir al-Balah are "massive." The city had so far been relatively spared, unlike other areas. According to Al Jazeera, Israeli army units are also mobilized in eastern Deir al-Balah. 09:42 Beirut Time Good morning! Thank you for joining us for our live coverage. Be sure to read the Morning Brief so you are caught up with what has been happening. At least nine Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes since dawn According to Al Jazeera, citing sources in various Gaza hospitals, at least nine Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since dawn. Medical sources at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported that five people from the same family were killed in the bombing of a tent in the so-called "humanitarian" area of al-Mawassi, in the south of the city. Another strike on Jabalia, in the north of the enclave, left two dead, according to sources at al-Shifa Hospital. In Deir al-Balah, a town in the center of the besieged territory for which the Israeli army had issued an evacuation order on Sunday, artillery fire killed two Palestinians, according to the Wafa news agency, cited by Al Jazeera. Around 1,000 families have already evacuated Deir al-Balah, threatened by an Israeli offensive The U.N. humanitarian agency (OCHA) estimated that around 1,000 families evacuated Deir al-Balah after the Israeli army called for them to leave, prefacing an offensive on the city. OCHA said that around 50,000 to 80,000 people lived in the area affected by the evacuation call, which includes "numerous warehouses, four first aid clinics, four medical centers, and crucial water infrastructure." The damage that could be caused to this infrastructure "will have deadly consequences," according to OCHA, which announced that its staff would remain in Deir al-Balah. The agency's director, Tom Fletcher, indicated on X that U.N. employees would remain "to help" in Deir al-Balah. Initially located in Rafah, U.N. personnel relocated their operations to the central city after the ground invasion of that city in mid-2024. 09:42 Beirut Time Death toll from inter-communal fighting rises to more than 1,100 Intercommunal violence in the Druze-majority province of Sweida in southern Syria has left more than 1,100 dead in one week, according to a new report from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Among the dead were 427 Druze fighters and 298 civilians, 194 of whom were "summarily executed by members of the Defense and Interior Ministries." On the other side, 354 government forces and 21 Sunni Bedouins were killed, including three civilians "executed by Druze fighters," according to the London-based NGO, which relies on a vast network of sources across the country. 15 government forces were also killed in Israeli strikes, according to the NGO. 09:42 Beirut Time Talks between Iran and Europeans to resume Friday Iran will hold new talks on its nuclear program with Germany, France and the United Kingdom on Friday in Istanbul, a month after the 12-day war between it and Israel and the United States. "In response to the request of European countries, Iran has agreed to hold a new round of talks," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghai said, according to state television, which added that the meeting will take place in Istanbul. 09:42 Beirut Time US envoy Tom Barrack tours Lebanese officials U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who arrived in Beirut on Sunday, traveled this morning to Baabda Palace, where he is scheduled to be met by President Joseph Aoun. He will then meet with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Grand Serail. This visit is part of the follow-up to efforts to implement a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah. This is the diplomat's second visit in two weeks. During his previous visit, he received the Lebanese response to a U.S. proposal aimed at restoring stability to southern Lebanon and the region, including the disarmament of Hezbollah.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store