Bassil: US, Iran and Hezbollah don't want to expand war - Naharnet

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has stressed that what matters today is to “neutralize Lebanon” in the war between Israel and Hamas, noting that “Israel is besieged and the U.S., as well as Iran and Hezbollah, do not want to expand the war.”

“Resistance can be not in conflict with the issue of neutrality but rather complementary to it. We want to be in a state of self defense, not attack,” Bassil said in an interview on LBCI television.

“The Shebaa Farms is occupied Lebanese territory and through its operations in it Hezbollah has emphasized Lebanon’s right to regain its land,” Bassil added, noting that Hezbollah is “abiding by the rules of engagement.”

“It is the duty of the Lebanese to prevent Lebanon’s descent into war, but at the same time we do not want to drag it into defeat, and if war is imposed on us we will confront it,” Bassil went on to say.

He also revealed that in his latest phone call with Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, he informed the Hezbollah leader of his concerns and at the same time sensed Nasrallah’s “keenness on Lebanon’s interest.”

 https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301261

Mikati says working to avoid war with Israel -Naharnet

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Monday he was working to ensure his country does not enter the Hamas-Israel war, even as Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging cross-border fire.

Mikati said he feared an escalation, with the border skirmishes stoking concerns that Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah could launch its own war with Israel.

"I am doing my duty to prevent Lebanon from entering the war" raging further south, Mikati told AFP in an interview.

Cash-strapped Lebanon is facing the possibility of war essentially leaderless, as political divisions have left the country without a president for almost a year, while Mikati has headed a caretaker cabinet for about a year and a half.

"Lebanon is in the eye of the storm," Mikati said.

"I cannot rule out an escalation because there is a race to reach a ceasefire before escalation spreads in the entire region."

Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions in Lebanon have exchanged fire with Israel almost daily since Hamas's October 7 assault on Israel.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301262

Geagea vows to try to spare Lebanon Gaza-like 'hell' through 1701 - Naharnet

 Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has described the war in Gaza as an "open hell" that he doesn't want Lebanon to experience too.

"We support the people of Gaza and we are trying to spare Lebanon this hell," Geagea said, as he called again for the implementation of U.N. resolution 1701.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301259

Hamas, Jamaa Islamiya fire rockets from Lebanon as Hezbollah-Israel clashes continue - Naharnet

The Lebanon branch of Hamas’ Qassam Brigades on Sunday announced firing 16 rockets from Lebanon at Nahariya in northern Israel in response to “the occupation’s crimes against our people in Gaza.”

The military wing of Lebanon’s Jamaa Islamiya, which calls itself al-Fajer Forces, meanwhile claimed responsibility for another rocket attack on Israel’s Kiryat Shmona, saying the projectiles targeted the Israeli army’s posts around and inside the Israeli settlement.

“Our rocket salvos will continue and increase whenever the Zionist enemy insists and goes far in its aggression against our people in south Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. We also stress that we are capable of expanding our responses to deter it from its aggression,” Jamaa Islamiya’s military wing warned.

Both Hamas and Jamaa Islamiya are affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood global network.

Media reports said a building in Kiryat Shmona was directly hit with a rocket, with online footage showing the building in flames. According to some reports, the building was being used by Israeli troops, knowing that Kiryat Shmona had been recently evacuated of its residents by Israel's authorities.

Hezbollah meanwhile announced shooting down an Israeli drone with a surface-to-air missile. The drone was flying over an area east of Lebanon’s Khiyam and was seen crashing inside Israel, Hezbollah added.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301250-hamas-jamaa-islamiya-fire-rockets-from-lebanon-as-hezbollah-israel-clashes-continue

Israel downs missile from Lebanon, shells border areas -Naharnet

 Israel’s military announced it shot down a surface-to-air missile fired at an Israeli drone from Lebanon Saturday. It was not immediately clear if the missile was fired by Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Lebanese security officials said two missiles were fired toward an Israeli drone flying over Lebanon but did not hit the target.

The explosion of an Israeli interceptor missile was meanwhile heard over Lebanon's Tyre region.

The Israeli army said it attacked the site from which the missile was fired at its drone, as Lebanese media reports said an Israeli drone bombed the heights of Lebanon's Jabal Safi, which lies around 25 kilometers away from the border.

The Israeli army later said that an Israeli drone targeted a cell that was trying to fire anti-tank missiles from Lebanon at Israel's Hanita.

Al-Hadath television meanwhile reported Israeli shelling on the Lebanese border areas of Naqoura, Alma al-Shaab and al-Labbouneh, noting that the shelling triggered blazes in the area. Machinegun fire was also reported in the area.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301233-israel-downs-missile-from-lebanon-shells-border-areas

Israel says 'no incidents' on Lebanon front as Hezbollah announces no attacks Thursday - Naharnet

 The Israeli army announced Friday that its northern front with Lebanon and Syria did not witness any incidents overnight, following a relatively calm day on Thursday.

The Israeli military had announced Thursday evening that one of its drones had struck a cell that was “trying to fire anti-tank missiles from Lebanon at an Israeli military post.” For the first day since October 7, Hezbollah did not announce any attacks on Israeli military posts on Thursday. It however announced that three more of its fighters have been killed, without specifying when they were targeted.

Lebanon’s National News Agency meanwhile reported that Israeli forces shelled the Lebanese border towns of Dhayra, Alma al-Shaab, Naqoura and Aita al-Shaab at 1am, followed by the firing of phosphorus bombs at forests along the Blue Line, setting ablaze trees whose flames had been extinguished by firefighters earlier in the day.

Al-Manar television said Civil Defense member Hussein Sati was injured in a landmine blast as he was combating the flames sparked by incendiary Israeli bombs in al-Labbouneh’s forests.

Israeli warplanes also targeted the al-Labbouneh area in Naqoura overnight, triggering blazes in its forests, NNA added.

The Israeli army also fired flares over Aita al-Shaab and machine-gunned the area around its al-Raheb post as Israeli drones overflew the Tyre and Bint Jbeil districts until Friday morning.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301204-israel-says-no-incidents-on-lebanon-front-as-hezbollah-announces-no-attacks-thursday

US strikes Syria bases used by Iran-linked groups - BBC News

 The US has carried out air strikes against two weapons and ammunition storage facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the strikes were in response to recent attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups.

The US strikes were "separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas," he said in a statement.

Iran did not immediately comment.

The strikes, carried out by a pair of F-16 US air force fighters, took place on Friday at around 04:30 local time (01:30 GMT) near Abu Kamal, a town on the border with Iraq.

It is not yet known if there were any casualties from the attacks.

"These precision self-defence strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17," Mr Austin said in a statement.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67236438

Hezbollah targets several Israeli military bases, releases footage - Al-Mayadeen

Hezbollah targeted a number of Israeli occupation military bases near the Lebanese border using a range of different weapons, the Islamic Resistance said in a statement on Friday.

According to Hezbollah's Military Media, the bases included: Ruwaisat al-Alam, al-Summaqah, and Zibdine, which are located in the occupied Shebaa Farms and the occupied Kfar Chouba hills, as well as al-Sadeh, "Misgav Am" and "Abu Dajjaj" outposts near the border.

The Resistance group confirmed that most of the technical hardware and equipment military sites were targeted with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and other appropriate weapons and confirmed direct hits.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hezbollah-targets-several-israeli-military-bases-releases-fo

Geagea says Berri, Mikati must ask 'militants' to withdraw from border - Naharnet

As Israel and Hezbollah trade near-daily cross-border fire in a relatively contained tit-for-tat fire, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea considers that Hezbollah is taking the decision of war, bypassing the state.

After admitting that the opposition cannot do anything about it in an interview in L'Orient Le-Jour, Geagea called on Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati to ask all "militants" to withdraw from the border, where daily clashes are taking place.

In a statement he posted Wednesday on the X platform, Geagea asked whether Berri and Mikati are serious about Lebanon's commitment to the U.N. resolutions.

"Both Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati have stated many times that Lebanon respects international legitimacy resolutions, especially Resolution 1701," he said, adding that "if their stance is serious, then they should ask the Lebanese army to deploy in the area where international forces operate, ank call on the other militants, whether Lebanese or Palestinian, to withdraw from the area."

Hezbollah's al-Manar reporter Ali Shoeib responded on X, accusing Geagea of political immaturity, treason and indifference about the situation in southern Lebanon.

"One simple piece of evidence of the stupidity and political immaturity of Samir Geagea is his request for the withdrawal of what he called 'militants' from the south," Shoeib said.

"The 'militants', Samir, are the sons, men, and youth who took up arms to defend their villages and towns," he added.

 https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301186

Berri condemns use of white phosphorus amid renewed Israeli shelling - Naharnet

 The Israeli army said Thursday its forces had eliminated "five Hezbollah cells" that tried to open fire from south Lebanon yesterday.

Israel later fired two artillery shells on the Ghasouna area in Blida's eastern outskirts and on the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab with phosphorus bombs, as its troops machine-gunned the forests surrounding the Ruwaisat al-Alam site in the Kfarshouba Heights and Wadi Hounin, facing Markaba.

The phosphorus bombs ignited fires in Aita al-Shaab, Alma al-Shaab, Rmeish, Dhaira, Marwahin, Yaroun, Kfarshouba, Shebaa and Naqoura.

Israel meanwhile fired shells to obstruct the army and firefighting crews from reaching the burning forests near Aita al-Shaab.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri condemned Thursday the use of the internationally restricted white phosphorus bombs in the southern Lebanese towns and forests, asking the international community and all the international envoys who are visiting the region en-masse to act.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301192

Where is Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah? Lebanon and Israel wait with bated breath - Arab News

 Almost every week, families in Lebanon gather in front of their TVs. Some set up their TV dinners, others set the coals for their Argileh. It is time for Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's weekly address.

The topics of Nasrallah's speeches are wide-ranging, flitting from Israeli aggression towards Lebanon to offshore natural gas extraction, his words always eloquent no matter the subject.

For the past three weeks, however, the charismatic political leader has been conspicuously silent.

Despite the most significant clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed militia since the 2006 war that have left 36 Hezbollah fighters dead, mum has been the word for Nasrallah.

His followers have taken notice of his absence, anxiously awaiting a sign from their leader.

https://www.newarab.com/analysis/ominous-silence-where-hezbollah-chief-hassan-nasrallah

Outburst of Anger During a Cabinet Meeting - This is Beirut

 Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati held a working meeting with ministers at the Grand Serail this afternoon.

Those who participated in the meeting were: Saadeh Chami, Georges Kallass, Ziad Makari, Hector Hajjar, Abbas el-Hajj Hassan, Ali Hamieh, Abbas el-Halabi, Youssef Khalil, Amine Salam, Bassam Maoulaoui, Georges Bouchikian, Abdallah Bou Habib, Issam Charafeddine, Henry Khoury, Najla el-Riachi and Moustafa Bayram.

However, caretaker Minister of Information Ziad Makari announced that caretaker Minister of Defense Maurice Slim left the ministerial session in anger due to a letter that the Prime Minister had sent to him, asking him to resolve the issue of the next vacancy at the head of the army. Slim left the session exclaiming, “This is shameful!”

Makari also stated that, at the current stage, no final decision has been made regarding the succession of the army’s commander-in-chief.

He also mentioned that Slim and the caretaker Minister of Social Affairs, Hector Hajjar, both left the Grand Serail in a fury, heading towards their cars, but Hajjar rejoined the ministerial meeting a few moments later. Furthermore, caretaker Minister of Justice Henry Khoury joined Slim in his car in an attempt to resolve the dispute, but without any result.

https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/lebanon/190249

Two Resistance Brigades members killed by Israeli shelling - Naharnet

 The Hezbollah-linked Resistance Brigades, also known as Saraya al-Moqawama, announced Monday the death of two of its members "as they performed their national duties."

The Resistance Brigades was created in 1997 by Hezbollah's leadership. The group comprised Lebanese young men from various sects who wanted to fight the Israeli occupation of south Lebanon without having to officially join Hezbollah. The group was not disbanded after Israel's withdrawal from the South in 2000.

Ali Kamal Abdel-Al and Hussein Hassan Abdel-Al are the first militants announced dead by the Resistance Brigades, since Oct.7.

The two were trying to retrieve the body of a third person killed in Israeli strikes over the southern border town of Halta in the Arqoub region.

The Lebanese Army, in coordination with the UNIFIL, retrieved the bodies of the three from the outskirts of Kfarshouba. They were transferred from Halta by the Lebanese Red Cross.

Hezbollah had announced Sunday the deaths of seven more militants as clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border intensified.

26 of Hezbollah militants have been killed since Hamas' Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel. At least six militants from Hamas and another militant group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and at least four civilians have died in the near-daily hostilities, including Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah. The toll rose Monday to 32 Lebanese, after the Resistance Brigades' statement, and six Palestinian militants.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301126

Bassil meets Mikati, Jumblat as part of tour aimed at 'protecting Lebanon' - Naharnet

 Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil met Monday with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail as part of a tour over the military developments in south Lebanon and Gaza.

An FPM statement said Bassil’s tour is aimed at “protecting Lebanon and national unity” in light of the “threats and challenges that Lebanon is facing.”

The FPM chief later met with former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat at 5pm in Clemenceau.

MTV meanwhile reported that “so far, Bassil has not requested to meet with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Kataeb Party leader Sami Gemayel.”

“Bassil has requested to meet with a delegation that represents the opposition, without specifying a place and time for this meeting,” MTV added.

Media reports later said that Bassil will meet Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301127

Netanyahu'dan Lübnan sınırında Hizbullah'a tehdit: 'İsrail'le savaşa girmek hayatlarının hatası olur' - Gazete Duvar

Lübnan sınırı yakınlarında bulunan askerlerle bir araya gelen Netanyahu, Hizbullah'ın 'savaşa girmekle hayatının hatasını yapacağını' söyledi.

DUVAR - İsrail Başbakanı Binyamin Netanyahu, Lübnan sınırı yakınlarında bulunan askerlerle bir araya geldi. Netanyahu, 'Gazze savaşının İsrail için bir ölüm kalım meselesi olduğunu' söyledi. Hizbullahı da uyaran Netanyahu, "İsrail ile savaşa girerlerse büyük bir yıkım olacak" dedi. Lübnan'daki Hizbullah'ın 'savaşa girmekle hayatının hatasını yapacağını' söyleyen Netanyahu, askerlere hitap ettiği konuşmasında, 'bir varoluş savaşı verdiklerini' savundu.

https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/netanyahudan-lubnan-sinirinda-hizbullaha-tehdit-israille-savasa-girmek-hayatlarinin-hatasi-olur-haber-1643597

Israeli army says gunmen targeted in Lebanon drone attack - AA

 The Israeli army said Monday it had launched a drone attack into Lebanese territories amid rising tensions with the Hezbollah group. 

The attack targeted gunmen preparing to launch an anti-tank guided missile from the area of Mount Dov (Shebaa Farms) into northern Israel, the army said in a statement.

Amid the conflict in the Gaza Strip, tension has flared along the border between Israel and Lebanon, with exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.

The border clashes have been the deadliest since Hezbollah and Israel fought a full-scale war in 2006, when the Lebanese group struck major Israeli cities with rockets, causing significant damage.

More than 1,000 Lebanese were killed in the war, while much of southern Lebanon -- a Hezbollah stronghold -- was devastated by Israeli attacks.

An Israeli spokesman earlier said the army had eliminated more than 20 Hezbollah cells in southern Lebanon since Oct. 7.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israeli-army-says-gunmen-targeted-in-lebanon-drone-attack/3030250

Netanyahu warns Hezbollah against new war front - Naharnet

 Hezbollah will make "the mistake of its life" if it starts a war with Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, as tensions rose on the Israel-Lebanon border.

His remarks came during a visit as the Israeli leader visited troops near Israel's northern border with Lebanon where increasing artillery exchanges have heightened fears of a new front opening as Israel battles Hamas in Gaza.

Israel's defense ministry on Sunday ordered the evacuation of another 14 communities near the border, adding to dozens that have already been told to evacuate.

Should Hezbollah try and get involved, it would be "the mistake of its life," Netanyahu said.

"We will strike it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the significance for it and the state of Lebanon will be devastating."

Hezbollah is an ally of the Islamist Hamas movement which sparked the war with its October 7 rampage that killed at least 1,400 people in Israel, according to authorities.

Israel has retaliated with relentless strikes on Gaza, killing more than 4,650 Palestinians.

In parallel, it has exchanged fire with Hezbollah across its northern border.

Since October 7, the cross-border exchanges have left at least 36 people in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally -- mostly combatants but also at least four civilians, including a Reuters journalist.

Another four people have been killed in Israel, including three soldiers and one civilian. Israel has evacuated dozens of its northern communities while several thousand Lebanese have fled border regions for the southern city of Tyre.

- 'A very dangerous game' -

On Sunday, the army said its forces "identified a terrorist cell attempting to launch anti-tank missiles toward the Avivim" border area saying they had "struck the cell before it was able to carry out the attack".

And an anti-tank missile was fired at an Israeli tank in the disputed Shebaa Farms district without causing casualties or damage, with the tank returning fire, it said.

Lebanon's official National News Agency said Israeli aircraft overflew south Lebanon on Sunday and Israel had bombed various sites along the border.

The tit-for-tat attacks have so far been relatively contained, but analysts have warned that Hezbollah could scale up its activity if Israel launches a ground invasion of Gaza.

Hezbollah's number two Naim Qassem on Saturday said the group could step up its engagement.

But Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus warned that Hezbollah was playing "a very, very dangerous game".

"They're escalating the situation. We see more and more attacks every day," he said.

"Is the Lebanese state really willing to jeopardize what is left of Lebanese prosperity and Lebanese sovereignty for the sake of terrorists in Gaza?"

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Sunday that diplomatic efforts were underway to "stop Israeli attacks on Lebanon" and prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading, saying Beirut's allies were making "every effort to return the situation to normal".

However, Lebanon was developing an emergency response plan "as a precaution", he added.

Iran-backed Hezbollah fought a war with Israel in 2006 that left more than 1,200 dead in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 dead in Israel, mostly soldiers.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301120

Mikati says efforts ongoing to 'stop Israeli attacks on Lebanon' - Naharnet

 Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Sunday that diplomatic efforts were ongoing to "stop Israeli attacks on Lebanon" and prevent the Gaza conflict from spilling into the country.

"Lebanon's friends are with us in continuing to make every effort to return the situation to normal," Mikati said in a statement.

However, Lebanon was developing an emergency response plan "as a precaution," he added.

Tit-for-tat attacks at the Lebanese-Israeli border have so far been relatively contained, but analysts have warned that the chances of Hezbollah scaling up involvement could hinge on any Israeli ground invasion of Gaza.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301118

Güney Lübnan'daki askeri operasyonlar yoğunlaştı - Şarkul Avsat

 İsrail ile Hizbullah arasındaki karşılıklı askeri operasyonlar dün (Cumartesi) öğleden sonra yoğunlaştı. Hizbullah bir İsrail gözlem noktasını ve El-Manara yerleşimini hedef aldı. Bu saldırı UNIFIL Sözcüsü Andrea Tenenti’nin güney sınırındaki saldırıların tırmanmasını önleme çabalarını yenilediği bir zamanda yapıldı.

UNIFIL Sözcüsü Andrea Tenenti, “Birleşmiş Milletler Lübnan Geçici Barış Gücü (UNIFIL) Komutanı Aroldo Lazaro, mevcut durumu değerlendirmek, barış güçleriyle konuşmak ve endişelerini öğrenmek için UNIFIL operasyon alanını ziyaret ediyor. UNIFIL güney Lübnan'da istikrarı yeniden tesis etme misyonuna tam olarak bağlı kalmaya devam ediyor ve saldırıların artmasını önlemek için her türlü çabayı gösteriyor.” diye konuştu.

Lübnan Ulusal Haber Ajansı, dün Hizbullah'ın Lübnan’ın sınır kasabası Mays el-Cebel'deki Ed-Debaka bölgesinin karşısındaki bir İsrail gözlem noktasını hedef aldığını bildirdi. Hula kasabasının karşısındaki El-Abad askeri bölgesi ve Mays el-Cebel'in karşısındaki El-Menara yerleşim yeri de güdümlü füzelerle hedef alındı. Öte yandan İsrail ordusunun Merciiyyun'a bağlı Burc el-Muluk kasabasının eteklerini top atışlarıyla hedef alması, çok sayıda zeytin ağacının yanmasına neden oldu. El-Kalia merkezinden sivil savunma ekipleri yangını söndürmek için seferber oldu. Ajans, İsrail top mermilerinin Hula kasabasına isabet ettiğini ve evlerin yakınlarına düştüğünü kaydetti. Top mermilerinden birinin bir araca isabet ettiği belirtildi.

Batı kesimdeki Ed-Dahira ve Alma eş-Şab kasabalarının dış mahalleleri de yoğun topçu ateşine maruz kaldı.

İsrail Yayın Kurumu, "Lübnan topraklarındaki birçok Hizbullah askeri noktasının vurulduğunu" duyurdu. İsrail gazetesi Jerusalem Post ise "Lübnan Hizbullahı’nın Cebel Dov bölgesine çok sayıda füze ateşlediğini, İsrail ordusunun ise saldırının kaynaklarına yanıt verdiğini” aktardı. Gazetenin aktardığına göre İsrail ordusu, dün İsrail uçaklarının ve İsrail askerlerinin Lübnan sınırı yakınında roket ve tanksavar mermisi atan militanları hedef aldığını ve gerçekleştirilen iki saldırıda hedeflerin vurulduğunu duyurdu. İsrailli askerler üçüncü tur roket atışına da karşılık verdi.

İsrail ordusu, dün sabah Lübnan sınırından yapılan tanksavar ateşi sonucu bir İsrail askerinin öldüğünü, 3 askerin de yaralandığını duyurdu. Böylece 7 Ekim'den bu yana İsrail ordusunda ölenlerin sayısı 306'a yükseldi.

Dünkü çatışmalar, batı kesimdeki köylerin sıcak ve gergin bir gece yaşamasının ardından meydana geldi. Şarku’l Avsat’ın edindiği bilgiye göre gece yarısından hemen öncesine kadar Alma eş-Şab, Ramiye, Beyt Liv, Ed-Dahira ve El- Lebune köylerinin çevresini hedef alan şiddetli İsrail bombardımanı gerçekleşti. Söz konusu köylerin semalarına sabahın erken saatlerine kadar çok sayıda işaret fişeği atıldı.

Öte yandan Hizbullah güney sınırındaki bazı İsrail bölgelerini hedef aldı. Mavi Hat yakınındaki İsrail yerleşimlerinde sirenler birden fazla kez duyuldu. İsrail medyasına göre burası artık sakinlerden yoksun durumda.

Ulusal Haber Ajansı'da yer alan habere göre Tire ve Bint Jbeil kasabalarında patlama sesleri duyuldu. Bu sesler İsrail Demir Kubbe füzelerinin patlamasından kaynaklandı. Gerilimin tırmanması, Mavi Hat'a komşu köylerdeki nüfusun daha güvenli bölgelere doğru yer değiştirmesinde bir artışa yol açıyor.

https://turkish.aawsat.com/d%C3%BCnya/4620411-g%C3%BCney-l%C3%BCbnandaki-askeri-operasyonlar-yo%C4%9Funla%C5%9Ft%C4%B1

Qassem says Hezbollah already 'in the heart' of Israel-Hamas war - Naharnet

 Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has vowed that Israel will pay a high price whenever it starts a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, saying that his Lebanon-based group already is "in the heart of the battle."

The comments by Qassem came as Israel shelled and made drone strikes in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah fired rockets and missiles toward Israel. Hezbollah said six of its fighters were killed Saturday, the highest daily toll since the violence began two weeks ago.

For Hezbollah, heating up the Lebanon-Israel border has a clear purpose, Qassem said: "We are trying to weaken the Israeli enemy and let them know that we are ready." Hamas officials have said that if Israel starts a ground offensive in Gaza, Hezbollah will join the fighting.

Exchanges of fire along the Lebanon-Israel border have picked up in the two weeks since the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas that allegedly killed over 1,400 civilians and soldiers in southern Israel. Retaliatory Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed more than 4,000 Palestinians.

There are concerns that Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has a weapons arsenal consisting of tens of thousands of rockets and missiles as well as different types of drones, might try to open a new front in the Israel-Hamas war with a large-scale attack on northern Israel.

Qassem said his group, which is allied with Hamas, already was affecting the course of the conflict by heating up the Lebanon-Israel border and keeping three Israeli army divisions tied up in the north instead of preparing to fight in Gaza.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301116

Syria says Israel hit Damascus, Aleppo airports again amid Gaza bombing - Al-Jazeera

 Syrian state media say Israel hit the airports in Damascus and Aleppo again, putting them out of service for the second time within two weeks amid its relentless bombing of Gaza.

The SANA state news agency said on Sunday that Israeli air raids targeted the two main airports, “leading to the death of a civilian worker at Damascus airport and wounding another”.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/22/syria-says-israel-hit-damascus-aleppo-airports-again-amid-gaza-bombing

Hamas says Hezbollah helping it 'without harming Lebanon' - Naharnet

 Hezbollah is carrying out the “duty” of helping Hamas and the Palestinians “without harming Lebanon,” Hamas representative in Lebanon Ahmad Abdel Hadi said, in reference to Hezbollah’s daily operations against the Israeli army on Lebanon’s border.

Israel has also accused Hezbollah of allowing Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group of launching infiltration and rocket attacks from Lebanon against Israel.

In an interview on MTV, Abdel Hadi added that “the Zionist entity’s existence was shaken after October 7 and today the battlefield is speaking for itself.”

“We have taken into consideration that a ground war might be one of the Zionists’ responses,” the Hamas official said.

“Tens of thousands of elite fighters are prepared for a ground war and they will turn Gaza into a cemetery for the Israelis,” he added.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301083-hamas-says-hezbollah-helping-it-without-harming-lebanon

Mikati: The Government is Intensifying its Diplomatic Contacts - This is Beirut

 Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, stated on Friday that “the government is intensifying its diplomatic contacts to resolve the situation and put an end to the Israeli aggression,” while also working on an emergency plan in case of further developments.

He expressed his hope that the pressure exerted on Israel “will succeed in ending the aggression against Gaza and Israeli violations against Lebanese territory.”

Mikati praised the resilience of the residents of villages near the border despite the numerous challenges they have to face. This statement too place during a meeting at the Seray with the Mufti of Hasbaya and Marjeyoun, Sheikh Hassan Dali, and members of the municipal councils of the region.

https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/lebanon/188238

Lebanon approves plan to counter any repercussions from border tensions with Israel - AA

 Lebanon approved a comprehensive plan Thursday to counter possible repercussions on its infrastructure and public facilities from an escalation of tensions on its border with Israel.

The plan was approved during a Cabinet session chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, according to a statement issued by the Prime Ministry.

Mikati said in his speech during the session that he held a meeting with the National Disaster and Crisis Management Authority to formulate the practical steps required to confront what might happen.

"We have agreed on a series of steps, based on which we will take appropriate decisions," he added, without providing further details.

“It is true that the war is still confined to the Gaza Strip, but what is happening in south Lebanon and the fall of martyrs day after day are things that must stop....Hence, our constant demand has been for the brotherly and friendly countries to exert the necessary pressure to stop the Israeli provocations and aggressions against Lebanon,” he added.

Media Minister Ziad Makari reassured citizens that the government is working to develop a preventive plan in case of war.

“The Cabinet approved the plan of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Ministry of Health regarding disaster management,” Makari told reporters at the end of the session.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/lebanon-approves-plan-to-counter-any-repercussions-from-border-tensions-with-israel/3026753

Al-Qassam fire rockets from South Lebanon amid Hezbollah operations - Al-Mayadeen

 The Islamic Resistance, Hezbollah, announced that it targeted several Israeli occupation military sites and the "Shomera" Barracks on Wednesday afternoon.

The sites targeted with "appropriate weapons" were "Jal al-Aalam", "Zar'it", "al-Bahri", and an observation tower near "Habed al-Bustan", as well as the "Shomera" Barracks in Israeli-occupied territories.

The Resistance said that its attack resulted in accurate hits, destroying military-grade technical equipment.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that more than 20 rockets were fired from Lebanon toward occupied territories as the attack took place.

Israeli media reported that the artillery rockets were launched from Lebanon toward the Western al-Jalil, as sirens went off in "Nahariyya" and several other settlements.

Israeli media reports 3 settlers were injured as a result of a rocket falling in "Kiryat Shmona".

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/al-qassam-fire-rockets-from-south-lebanon-amid-hezbollah-ope

Lübnan sınırındaki çatışmalarda 6'sı gazeteci 9 kişi mahsur kaldı: 1 kişi öldü - Gazete Duvar

Lübnan sınırında çatışmalarda İsrail ateşi nedeniyle 6'sı gazeteci 9 kişi mahsur kaldı. Birleşmiş Milletler Lübnan Barış Gücü mahsur kalanların kurtarıldığı, 1 kişinin öldüğünü açıkladı.

DUVAR - İsrail-Lübnan sınırının Lübnan tarafında İsrail ordusunun devam eden ateşi nedeniyle mahsur kalan 9 kişiden 6 gazetecinin kurtarıldı. Daha sonra Birleşmiş Milletler Lübnan Geçici Barış Gücü'nden yapılan açıklamada, mahsur kalanların tamamının kurtarıldığı, 1 kişinin hayatını kaybettiği belirtildi. 

AA'nın Lübnan resmi ajansı NNA'dan aktardığı habere, Lübnan'ın güneyindeki İsrail sınırı üzerinde mahsur kalan 6 gazeteci ile 3 sivile ilişkin bilgi verildi.

Haberde, Lübnan'ın Nebatiye vilayetine bağlı Mercayun ilçesinde yer alan El-Hula beldesinde 6 gazeteci ve 3 sivilin bulunduğu bölgeye İsrail'in sürekli ateş açtığı ifade edildi.

https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/lubnan-sinirinda-israil-atesi-nedeniyle-6si-gazeteci-9-kisi-mahsur-kaldi-haber-1643196

 

Israel shells south Lebanon areas after fresh Hezbollah attack - Naharnet

 A fresh exchange of gunfire erupted Wednesday afternoon between Israel and Hezbollah on the Lebanese-Israeli border.

“Hezbollah is targeting Israeli surveillance infrastructure on the border with Lebanon,” Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV reported, adding that guided missiles were also fired at the Ras al-Naqoura and Jal al-Alam Israeli military posts.

Al-Jazeera television meanwhile said that Israeli shelling was targeting the area around Aita al-Shaab in south Lebanon.

A Lebanese farmer was meanwhile wounded by Israeli gunfire in the outskirts of the Lebanese border town of Aitaroun, al-Manar had earlier reported.

Hezbollah had earlier claimed a dawn attack on an Israeli military post.

Moreover, Hezbollah announced the death of another one of its members in the confrontations that have been raging for days on Lebanon’s border. The clashes had started a day after the eruption of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/301046

Lübnan'dan İsrail'e füze saldırısı - Gazete Duvar

Lübnan Hizbullahı'nın düzenlediği füze saldırılarında 4 İsrail askerinin yaralandığı duyuruldu.

DUVAR - İsrail ordusu, Lübnan topraklarından düzenlenen tanksavar füzesi saldırısında 4 askerinin hafif şekilde yaralandığını bildirdi. Ordudan yapılan yazılı açıklamada, İsrail'in Lübnan sınırı yakınındaki bir bölgeye karşı taraftan tanksavar füzesiyle saldırı düzenlendiği belirtildi.

AA'nın aktardığına göre, saldırıda 4 İsrail askerinin hafif şekilde yaralandığı aktarılan açıklamada, tanksavar füzesinin ateşlendiği bölgenin topçu atışıyla vurulduğu kaydedildi.

https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/lubnandan-israile-fuze-saldirisi-haber-1642865

Bakan Fidan'dan Lübnan'da 'İsrail' açıklaması: Bunun adı hırsızlıktır - Gazete Duvar

Lübnan'da mevkidaşı Buhabib ile ortak basın toplantısında konuşan Dışişleri Bakanı Fidan, "Bu savaştan daha büyük savaşlar çıkabileceği gibi tarihi bir barış da çıkabilir" dedi.

DUVAR - Dışişleri Bakanı Hakan Fidan, Lübnan Dışişleri ve Göçmenler Bakanı Abdallah Buhabib'in davetiyle resmi ziyarette bulunduğu Lübnan'ın başkenti Beyrut'ta mevkidaşı Buhabib ile ortak basın toplantısında konuştu. 

Konuşmasında İsrail-Hamas çatışmasına değinen Fidan, "Bu savaştan daha büyük savaşlar çıkabileceği gibi tarihi bir barış da çıkabilir. Cumhurbaşkanımız tarihi bir barışın mümkün olduğuna inanıyor ve bunun için gerekli çalışmaları yapıyor" ifadelerini kullandı. Fidan, "Savaşın başta Lübnan, Mısır ve Ürdün olmak üzere bölge ülkelerinin istikrarsızlaşmasına yol açacak şekilde gelişmesini engellemek için elimizden geleni yapıyoruz" dedi.

https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/bakan-fidandan-lubnanda-israil-aciklamasi-bunun-adi-hirsizliktir-haber-1642724

 

Hezbollah waging cyber war against 'Israel' in north: Israeli media - Al-Mayadeen

 The Israeli channel Kan reported Sunday that "Israel" is investigating whether Hezbollah was involved in activating false alarms in the north last week.

The channel's political correspondent said that last Wednesday, when warning sirens sounded in the northern areas, reports reached the political and security leadership of the Israeli occupation about a drone attack against "Israel", with alarms sounding throughout Israeli settlements.

The correspondent pointed out that the Israeli security establishment is investigating whether there is something beyond a misdiagnosis, such as interference, resulting from cyber warfare by Hezbollah, which led to a lack of clarity for an extended period at that time.

Furthermore, the Kan correspondent indicated that this matter is currently under examination and the Israeli security establishment cannot confirm if this is indeed what happened.

However, she highlighted that in recent days, there has been significant electronic warfare in the northern region, not limited to GPS jamming, and this is also under investigation.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hezbollah-waging-cyber-war-against-israel-in-north:-israeli

Israel-Lebanon border fire stokes fears of wider war - Naharnet

 Israel's northern border with Lebanon is often tense, the legacy of past conflicts. But as Israel readies to invade Gaza, its army faces the threat of a two-front war.

Repeated fire in recent days has claimed lives on both sides of the U.N.-patrolled border between Lebanon and Israel, which remain technically at war.

If Israel does invade the Palestinian enclave of Gaza in its war on Hamas, Hezbollah has warned it may escalate its military involvement.

Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that "we have no interest in a war in the north, we don't want to escalate the situation".

He urged Hezbollah to show restraint while also warning the group that, if it "chooses the path of war, it will pay a very heavy price".

Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem told a pro-Palestinian rally on Friday that it was "fully prepared and, when the time comes for action, we will take it".

Hezbollah last fought a major conflict with Israel in 2006.

That war left more than 1,200 dead in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 in Israel, mostly soldiers, in a conflict that left deep scars and the border bristling with guns.

As tensions have again risen sharply, UNIFIL, the buffer between Israel and Lebanon since 1978, has warned that the situation could get "out of control".

Late Sunday the U.N. peacekeeping mission said "our headquarters in Naqoura was hit with a rocket and we are working to verify from where. Our peacekeepers were not in shelters at the time.

"Fortunately, no one was hurt."

- 'Escalation ladder' -

Over the years, cross-border strikes and incursions have been frequent but carefully calibrated, with both sides at pains to project strength but avoid escalation.

This has threatened to change since October 7 when Gaza's Hamas movement staged its unprecedented attack on Israel in which its gunmen reportedly killed 1,400 in Israel.

A grieving and enraged Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and responded with a devastating bombing campaign on Gaza that has killed more than 2,670, stoking fury across the Arab world.

Tit-for-tat fire in recent days between Hezbollah and its allied Palestinian factions on the one side and Israel on the other have killed at least 11 people in southern Lebanon and two in Israel.

Most of the casualties in Lebanon have been Hezbollah and Hamas fighters, but three civilians, including a Reuters journalist, have also been killed.

Israel, which has massed tanks and troops in the north, on Sunday closed a four-kilometer stretch along the border to civilians.

It took the measure after a civilian was killed, with Hezbollah claiming responsibility.

The death came not in contested territory but in the Israeli border town of Shtula.

https://naharnet.com/stories/en/300980-israel-lebanon-border-fire-stokes-fears-of-wider-war

Dışişleri Bakanı Fidan, Lübnan'a gidiyor - Gazete Duvar

 DUVAR - Dışişleri Bakanı Hakan Fidan, Lübnan Dışişleri ve Göçmenler Bakanı Abdallah Bouhabib’in daveti üzerine Lübnan'a gidecek. Bakanlıktan yapılan yazılı açıklamada, Fidan'ın Lübnanlı mevkidaşı Bouhabib’in davetine icabetle Lübnan’a resmi bir ziyarette bulunacağı belirtildi.

Görüşmelerde, ikili ilişkiler, güncel, bölgesel ve uluslararası gelişmelerin ele alınmasının öngörüldüğü kaydedildi.

https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/disisleri-bakani-fidan-lubnana-gidiyor-haber-1642633