Hugo Bace,Middle East Correspondent and
samantha Granville,Beirut
ReutersAmid escalating Israeli attacks on Lebanon, Israeli troops invaded a southern Lebanese town overnight and killed a municipal employee, state media reported.
According to Lebanon’s state news agency, the military entered Blida with drones and light armored vehicles and stormed the city hall where an employee named Ibrahim Salameh was sleeping.
The Israeli military has said it is carrying out operations to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure, but has provided no evidence that Hezbollah is using the buildings.
The Israeli operation sparked a fierce reaction in Lebanon, where a ceasefire ended in November.
Israeli forces said they encountered a “suspect” inside the building and opened fire after identifying an “immediate threat.” It is unclear whether Salameh was targeted in the operation.
Israel has stepped up attacks on people and targets linked to the Iran-backed Shiite Islamist group Hezbollah.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has instructed the commander of the Lebanese Army to counter Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Salameh’s killing and the incursion as a “blatant violation of Lebanon’s institutions and sovereignty.”
He said Lebanon would continue to put pressure on the United Nations and the ceasefire guarantors “to stop repeated violations and ensure the complete withdrawal of Israel from our lands.”
Protests were held in Blida and nearby villages on Thursday morning, where residents blocked roads with burning tires, denouncing what they called “blatant attacks” and the state’s failure to protect civilians.
AFPIn recent days, Israel has stepped up airstrikes across Lebanon, saying it has targeted Hezbollah strongholds.
A second Israeli operation was reported overnight in the nearby town of Adaisseh, where residents said troops had blown up a religious ritual hall.
Israeli warplanes also flew over southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley on Thursday, and drones were again seen circling low over Beirut’s southern suburbs.
U.S. Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus told a ceasefire monitoring group meeting on Wednesday that the United States welcomes “Lebanon’s decision to place all weapons under state control by the end of the year,” adding that the Lebanese army “must now fully implement that plan.”
The ceasefire agreement would require Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon and require Hezbollah to move fighters north of the Litani River and dismantle its military infrastructure there, a plan strongly opposed by the Israeli military and its allies.
Although only the Lebanese Army and UN peacekeeper Unifil are authorized to deploy armed forces in southern Litany, Israel has maintained military presence in several strategic border areas.
