Page 2 - Hezbollah

Hezbollah rocket chief killed in Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon

The target of the strike was Yassin Izz a-Din, commander of Hezbollah's rocket artillery unit. The Israel Defence Forces claimed he was involved in attempts to restore Hezbollah's artillery forces

Israel strikes Beirut suburbs targeting Hezbollah drone production sites

The Israeli military struck several sites in Beirut's southern suburbs that it said held underground facilities used by Hezbollah for drone production Thursday, on the eve of the Eid al-Adha holiday. The strikes, which hit eight buildings at four locations, marked the first time in more than a month that Israel had struck on the outskirts of the capital and the fourth time since a US-brokered ceasefire agreement ended the latest war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in November. Israel has continued to carry out near-daily strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon since then, which Lebanon has said are in violation of the ceasefire deal. Israeli officials say the strikes are intended to prevent Hezbollah from regrouping after a war that took out much of its senior leadership and arsenal. The Israeli army said in a statement that Hezbollah was working to produce thousands of drones under the guidance and financing of Iranian terrorist groups. Hezbollah used dron

Argentina's Prez Javier Milei to receive $1 mn Genesis Prize in Israel

Argentina's President Javier Milei is headed to Israel. Milei was awarded the $1 million Genesis Prize in January in recognition of his support of Israel. After he postponed a planned visit in March, he is now set to receive the prize in a ceremony at Israel's Knesset on June 11 and deliver a speech to the Israeli parliament. Organizers say Milei will donate the prize money to launch an initiative aimed at improving diplomatic relations between Israel and Latin American countries and fighting antisemitism in the region. Prize organizers say they recognized Milei for reversing Argentina's long history of anti-Israel votes at the United Nations, designating the Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups as terrorist organisations and reopening investigations into the bombings of Jewish and Israeli targets in Argentina in the 1990s. Milei also has pledged to move Argentina's embassy to Jerusalem joining a handful of countries, including the US, to recognise the contested city as Israel's .

Will Hezbollah disarm under pressure as Israel strikes its missile depot?

Israel's latest airstrike on what it called a Hezbollah missile storage facility in Beirut's southern suburbs came during increasing pressure for the Lebanese militant group to disarm. The disarmament of what has been the region's most powerful non-state armed group has come to look increasingly inevitable. Hezbollah is severely weakened after a war with Israel in which much of its top leadership was killed, and after losing a key ally with the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a conduit for Iran to send arms. Israel and the US are pushing for swift disarmament, but when and how it will happen - if it does - is contested. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun has said he is committed to bringing all arms in the country under state control, but that it will happen through discussions around a national security plan and not through force. Many fear that an attempt to force the issue would lead to civil conflict, which Aoun has called a red line. Hezbollah officials have said

Hezbollah chief asks govt to take action to end Israel's attacks on Lebanon

The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah group called on the government on Monday to work harder to end Israel's attacks in the country a day after an Israeli airstrike hit a suburb of Beirut. Naim Kassem said in a televised speech that Hezbollah implemented the ceasefire deal that ended the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war in late November. But despite that, Israel is continuing with near-daily airstrikes. Kassem's comments came as the Israeli military said it carried out more than 50 strikes in Lebanon this month saying they came after Hezbollah violated the US-brokered ceasefire. On Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck Beirut's southern suburbs after issuing a warning about an hour earlier, marking the third Israeli strike on the area since a ceasefire took effect in late November. The Israeli military said it struck a precision-guided missiles facility. "The resistance complied 100 per cent with the (ceasefire) deal and I tell state officials that it's your duty to guarantee protection," Kas

Hezbollah says it won't disarm while Israeli troops stay in south Lebanon

The leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group said on Friday that its fighters will not disarm as long as Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon and the Israeli air force regularly violates Lebanese air space. Naim Kassem addressed supporters in a speech broadcast on Hezbollah's television station. Kassem took over Hezbollah after Israeli airstrikes killed longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, his successor Hashem Safieddine and other top Hezbollah figures last year, decimating the group's leadership. Kassem said Hezbollah had implemented its commitments related to the US-brokered ceasefire that halted the fighting in Hezbollah's latest, 14-month war with Israel. Since the ceasefire went into effect in late November, Israeli airstrikes have killed scores of people in Lebanon including civilians and Hezbollah members. Israel says it's targeting Hezbollah holdouts in southern Lebanon. On Tuesday, the office of the UN high commissioner for human rights said that at least 71 civilian

Israel strikes Beirut overnight, claims targeting Hezbollah official

The Israeli military struck a building in Beirut's southern suburbs early Tuesday, saying it targeted a member of the Hezbollah militant group. The airstrike came without warning days after Israel launched an attack on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Friday for the first time since a ceasefire ended fighting between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah militant group in November. The Israeli military then had warned residents in the crowded suburbs before the attack after two projectiles were launched from southern Lebanon, which Hezbollah denied firing. The Israeli military said in a statement the latest strike targeted a Hezbollah member who had been helping the Palestinian Hamas group in the Gaza Strip in attacks against Israel. It said the attack was under the direction of the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence agency. Hezbollah did not comment on the strike. There was no immediate word on casualties. Photos and videos widely shared on local and social media showed the top .

Hezbollah leader warns of action if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue

The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah group warned Saturday that if Israel's attacks on Lebanon continue and the Lebanese state does not act to stop them, the group will eventually resort to other alternatives. Naim Kassem's comments came a day after Israel launched an attack on Lebanon's capital for the first time since a ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November. The strike on Beirut came hours after two rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Israel and Hezbollah denied it fir Preview ed them. There was no immediate response from Israeli officials. Kassem was supposed to give his speech on Friday to mark Jerusalem Day that is usually held on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. However, it was postponed because of the Israeli airstrikes on different parts of Lebanon including a suburb of the capital. Jerusalem Day is an annual international day launched by Iran's first supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 in which Iranians and many of ..

Israel hits Beirut for first time since ceasefire ended war with Hezbollah

Israel has launched an attack on Lebanon's capital for the first time since a ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November. Associated Press reporters in Beirut heard a loud boom and witnessed smoke rising from an area in the city's southern suburbs that Israel's military had vowed to strike. It marked Israel's first strike on Beirut since a ceasefire took hold last November between it and the Hezbollah militant group, though Israel has attacked targets in southern Lebanon almost daily since then. Israel's army said it hit a Hezbollah drone storage facility in Dahiyeh, which it called a militant stronghold. The strike came after Israel, which accuses Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields, warned residents to evacuate the area. The area struck is a residential and commercial area and is close to at least two schools. Israeli officials said the attack was retaliation for rockets it said were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel. They promised strikes on Bei

World Bank estimates $11 bn needed to rebuild Lebanon after Israel war

The cost of reconstruction and recovery for Lebanon following the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war is estimated at $11 billion, the World Bank said in a report on Friday. The report by the World Bank's Lebanon Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment covered damage and losses in 10 sectors nationwide between October 8, 2023, and Dec. 20, 2024. It estimates that of the $11 billion in reconstruction and recovery needs, $3 billion to $5 billion will need to be publicly financed, including for infrastructure sectors. Private financing is required for about $6 billion to $8 billion of the costs, mostly in the housing, commerce, industry and tourism sectors. Hezbollah began firing rockets across the border on October 8, 2023, one day after a deadly Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. Israel responded with shelling and airstrikes in Lebanon, and the two sides became locked in an escalating conflict that became a full-blown war in late September. A US-brokered ...

Thousand set to attend funeral of late Nasrallah 5 months after his death

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Beirut early Sunday to attend the funeral of Hezbollah's former leader, nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital. Hassan Nasrallah was killed when Israel's air force dropped more than 80 bombs on the militant group's main operations room. His death was a major blow for the Iran-backed group that the late leader transformed into a potent force in the Middle East. Nasrallah was the group's leader for more than 30 years and one of its founders. He enjoyed wide influence among Iran-backed groups in the region and was widely respected in the so-called Iran-led axis of resistance that included Iraqi, Yemeni and Palestinian factions. Officials from around the region including Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were expected to attend the funeral at the Lebanese capital's main sports stadium. Lebanese officials including the parliamen

IDF to stay in 5 Lebanon locations after withdrawal deadline today: Israel

Israel's military says its forces will remain in five strategic locations in southern Lebanon after Tuesday's deadline for their withdrawal under a ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group, as Lebanon's government expressed frustration over another delay. A separate ceasefire in Gaza was also in doubt as the region marked 500 days of Israel's war with Hamas, while Israel and the United States sent conflicting signals over whether they want the truce to continue. Talks on the ceasefire's second phase are yet to start. Military spokesperson Lt Col Nadav Shoshani said the five locations in Lebanon provide vantage points or are located across from communities in northern Israel, where about 60,000 Israelis are still displaced. He said the temporary measure was approved by the US-led body monitoring the truce, which earlier was extended by three weeks. Under the agreement, Israeli forces should withdraw from a buffer zone in southern Lebanon to be patrolled by the Lebanese army and UN

Trump hails Netanyahu's golden pager gift: 'That was a great operation'

Israeli PM Netanyahu gifted President Trump a golden pager, referencing a deadly Israeli operation in Lebanon; Trump praised the move, calling it 'a great operation', during their White House meeting

Funeral for slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah set for Feb 23

The Lebanese Hezbollah group Sunday announced the funeral of its longtime leader will take place on Feb. 23, months after he was assassinated in a series of Israeli airstrikes in a southern Beirut suburb. Secretary-General Naim Kassem made the announcement regarding his predecessor Hassan Nasrallah in a prerecorded speech. It came days after a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended the war between the Lebanese militant group and Israel was extended until February 18. Nasrallah was killed on Sept. 27 after a series of Israeli airstrikes struck several buildings in a southern Beirut suburb. A top security aide said Nasrallah was inside the militant group's war operations room when the strikes took place. Israeli troops are still present in parts of southern Lebanon, where under the ceasefire agreement they are supposed to gradually withdraw while Hezbollah's militants withdraw north of the Litani River as Lebanese army soldiers disperse. Residents of those villages, many waving ..

Two killed in Southern Lebanon as protests against Israeli presence erupt

Firing by Israeli troops killed two people and wounded 17 on Monday in the second day of deadly protests in southern Lebanon, health officials said, as residents displaced by the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah attempted to return to villages where Israeli troops remain. The shooting came a day after 24 people were killed and more than 130 wounded when Israeli troops opened fire on protesters who breached roadblocks set up along the border. Under a US-brokered ceasefire on Nov 27, Israeli forces were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah was to move north of the Litani River by Jan 26. While the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers had already deployed in several villages before the deadline, Israel remained in over a dozen villages. The United States and Lebanon announced later on Sunday that the deadline to meet the ceasefire terms had been extended to Feb 18. In a pre-recorded speech aired Monday, Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said his group won't accept the ...

After economic meltdown, war with Israel, Lebanon's new PM vows to rebuild

Lebanon's prime minister-designate vowed on Tuesday to work on building a modern state in the crisis-hit country, saying his priorities will be to rebuild the destruction caused by a yearlong war with Israel and work on pulling the small nation out of its historic economic meltdown. Nawaf Salam spoke after meeting with Lebanon's new President Joseph Aoun, who himself took office last week. With the nomination of Salam and confirmation of Aoun, Lebanon, which has been run by a caretaker administration, now has a new government in waiting for the first time in two years. After the meeting, Salam said he will not marginalize any side in Lebanon, an apparent reference to the Hezbollah militant group, which in past years opposed his appointment as prime minister and this year indicated its preference for another candidate. Hezbollah has been weakened by its 14-month war with Israel, which ended in late November when a US-brokered 60-day ceasefire went into effect. The war left 4,000 peop

Ending 2-yr impasse, Lebanon Parliament picks army chief Aoun as President

Lebanon's parliament voted Thursday to elect the country's army commander, Joseph Aoun, as head of state, filling a more than two-year-long presidential vacuum. The session was the legislature's 13th attempt to elect a successor to former President Michel Aoun - no relation to the army commander - whose term ended in October 2022. The vote came weeks after a tenuous ceasefire agreement halted a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and at a time when Lebanon's leaders are seeking international assistance for reconstruction. Aoun was widely seen as the preferred candidate of the United States and Saudi Arabia, whose assistance Lebanon will need to ensure that Israel withdraws its forces from southern Lebanon as stipulated in the agreement and to fund the post-war rebuilding.

Israel starts recruitment for first ultra-orthodox brigade 'Hahashmonaim'

It was also noted that 100 more ultra-orthodox people will join the brigade's first reserves company after undergoing intensive training for six months

Hezbollah leader Nasrallah killed last year in war operations room: Aide

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike last year while inside the militant group's war operations room, according to new details Sunday disclosed by a senior Hezbollah official. A series of Israeli airstrikes flattened several buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 27, 2023, killing Nasrallah. The Lebanese Health Ministry said six people died. According to news reports, Nasrallah and other senior officials were meeting underground. The assassination of Nasrallah, who had led Hezbollah for 32 years, turned months of low-level strikes between Israel and the militants into all-out war that battered much of southern and eastern Lebanon for two months until a US-brokered ceasefire took effect November 27. His Eminence (Hassan Nasrallah) used to lead the battle and war from this location, top Hezbollah security official Wafiq Safa told a news conference Sunday near near the site where Nasrallah was killed. He said Nasrallah died in the war ...

Fragile Israel-Hezbollah truce holding so far, despite violations

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has held up for over a month, even as its terms seem unlikely to be met by the agreed-upon deadline. The deal struck on November 27 to halt the war required Hezbollah to immediately lay down its arms in southern Lebanon and gave Israel 60 days to withdraw its forces there and hand over control to the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers. So far, Israel has withdrawn from just two of the dozens of towns it holds in southern Lebanon. And it has continued striking what it says are bases belonging to Hezbollah, which it accuses of attempting to launch rockets and move weapons before they can be confiscated and destroyed. Hezbollah, which was severely diminished during nearly 14 months of war, has threatened to resume fighting if Israel does not fully withdraw its forces by the 60-day deadline. Yet despite accusations from both sides about hundreds of ceasefire violations, the truce is likely to hold, analysts say