Lebanon president tells army to respond to Israeli incursions after municipal worker killed

Israeli forces raided a Lebanese border village and killed a municipal worker early on Thursday in a serious escalation that has caused outrage in the country, as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun instructed the army to respond to any incursions.

Israeli troops crossed at least a kilometre into Blida and took position in the municipality building for at least two hours, as residents said they could hear heavy gunfire. After pulling out from the village, it was revealed that municipal worker Ibrahim Salameh, who had been staying in the building, was killed.

Lebanese media reported that he was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers as they stormed the building.

Images of the blood-soaked bed and floor in the room where he slept were widely shared online, causing outrage among Lebanese and prompting widespread condemnation from officials.

The Lebanese army moved into the site of the incursion after Israeli forces withdrew. It had earlier reportedly called on peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to intervene when the Israeli troops entered Blida in the early hours of Thursday.

The Israeli military later claimed in a statement that the municipality building was being used by Hezbollah "for terrorist activities," saying the man fired on was a "suspect" and that an investigation into the incident had been opened.

Residents of Blida protested following the attack, blocking a road with burning tires and demanding the government carry out its responsibilities to protect them.

Blida is one of dozens of towns and village straddling the border with Israel that saw heavy destruction by Israeli forces last year.

Separately at around 10 am (700 GMT), Israel conducted air raids near the areas of Jarmaq and Mahmoudieh in south Lebanon’s Nabatiyeh district.

Reports said Israeli jets fired several air-to-ground missiles, as explosions echoed throughout the region.

Sharing footage of the strikes, the Israeli army claimed that it was "conducting strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon."

A US-brokered ceasefire on 27 November 2024 ended more than a year of cross-border hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, including over two months of all-out war.

The agreement stipulates that Israeli forces completely withdraw from south Lebanon, Hezbollah disarms, and the Lebanese army gradually deploys thousands of soldiers across the south.

But despite withdrawing from most of the region, Israel continues to occupy several border points inside Lebanon deemed strategic and has refused to leave before Hezbollah surrenders its arms.

Israel has also carried out hundreds of strikes inside Lebanese territory, saying it is targeting Hezbollah, which it has vowed to keep weakened after last year’s war. These strikes have intensified in recent weeks.

Lebanon has repeatedly called on sponsors of the ceasefire deal, namely Israel's ally the US, to do more to pressure Israel to halt its deadly attacks.

Aoun calls on Lebanese army to resist Israel

President Aoun has ordered the army to respond to future violations following Thursday's deadly incident.

Aoun "instructed Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal to ensure that the Lebanese army confronts any Israeli incursion into the liberated southern territories, in defence of Lebanese land and the safety of citizens," according to a statement by the presidency.

Hezbollah blasted the attack and welcomed Aoun’s remarks, as did Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri who said mere condemnation was not enough in the face of Israeli aggression.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Thursday’s "blatant assault on Lebanese state institutions and their sovereignty."

"Full solidarity with our people in the South and in the frontline villages, who pay every day the price of their steadfastness in their land and their right to live in safety and dignity under the sovereignty and authority of the Lebanese state," he wrote on X.

"We continue to exert pressure, together with the United Nations and the countries sponsoring the cessation of hostilities agreement, to ensure an end to these repeated violations and the full Israeli withdrawal from our territories," he added.

The Lebanese army has called on a five-member ceasefire panel headed by the US to put an end to the Israeli violations.

"What the Israeli enemy has committed is a criminal act and a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty, as well as a breach of the cessation of hostilities agreement and UN Resolution 1701. It comes as part of its ongoing assaults against innocent civilians," the army said in a statement.

"The baseless claims and false pretexts put forward by the enemy are unfounded and bear no relation to the truth; they merely aim to justify its violations against our country and our citizens."

Lebanon’s Armed Forces have long suffered from underfunding and a lack of equipment, with the government calling on other nations for support to help the military fulfil its duties.

In August, the Lebanese Cabinet took an unprecedented step by deciding to disarm all armed factions in the country — particularly Hezbollah — pledging to end military dualism and establish the state’s exclusive authority over all weapons.

Beirut has continued to come under increasing US and Israeli pressure to disarm Hezbollah, as concerns rise in Lebanon of a renewed Israeli offensive.

The Iran-backed group has so far refused to hand over its weapons, saying Israel must first withdraw from the south, halt its attacks, and release prisoners of war.