Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemns Israeli assaults, says ‘all ceasefire violations should finish’.
Israel has launched one in every of its most intense aerial assaults on southern Lebanon since a truce halted final yr’s struggle with Hezbollah, in line with Lebanese officers and the Israeli navy.
Air strikes on Thursday focused a number of places throughout the Nabatieh area, round 12km (7 miles) from the Israeli border. At the very least one individual was killed and eight others injured, Lebanon’s Well being Ministry stated. Thick plumes of smoke rose from the bombed hilltops as residents fled the affected areas.
The Israeli military stated its warplanes struck a “Hezbollah infrastructure website”, however gave no additional particulars. The declare couldn’t be independently verified.
There was no fast response from Hezbollah, which had beforehand stated it withdrew its fighters from the border following the United States-brokered ceasefire.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun stated in a brief submit on X that he was intently monitoring the scenario in southern Lebanon after Israeli strikes hit the area.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the assaults. In an announcement on X, he stated: “All Israeli violations of UN Decision 1701 and ceasefire agreements should come to an finish. The Lebanese authorities has not – and won’t – cease pushing for Israel’s full withdrawal from our territory.”
الدبشة pic.twitter.com/o54o2MwjX0
— المنشد علي بركات ( حساب جديد) (@AliBarakat2023) May 8, 2025
Though the truce formally ended hostilities, sporadic cross-border assaults have continued. Israel has regularly broken the truce and carried out air raids throughout southern Lebanon, additionally hitting Hezbollah-controlled neighbourhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Beneath the phrases of the ceasefire, Hezbollah and different armed teams aren’t permitted to function or retailer weapons south of the Litani River, whereas Israel is required to withdraw from southern Lebanon and permit the Lebanese military to deploy within the area. Nevertheless, either side have accused one another of violating the settlement.
Israel nonetheless occupies 5 strategic hilltops alongside the border. Whereas rockets have been fired into Israel from Lebanese territory on two separate events, Hezbollah has denied involvement.
The latest escalation marks a pointy intensification of the battle, rooted in Hezbollah’s help for Hamas throughout Israel’s ongoing struggle on Gaza.
Hezbollah’s deputy chief, Naim Qassem, has maintained that the group now not retains weapons within the border zone, in accordance with the truce.
