Page 3 - Lebanon

India condemns attack that killed two UNIFIL peacekeepers in south Lebanon

According to a statement issued by UNIFIL, the incident occurred near Bani Hayyan in Southern Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of two peacekeepers, while a third one sustained severe injuries

Iran says its expelled ambassador won't leave Lebanon as tensions soar

Iran on Monday defied Lebanon's expulsion order for its ambassador by saying he would stay, further increasing tensions in a country in the crosshairs of the latest fighting between the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Israel. Lebanon had declared Ambassador Mohammad Reza Shibani "persona non grata" in an effort to weaken Iran's diplomatic presence and have a charge d'affairs at its embassy instead. But the deadline to leave the country was Sunday. "Our embassy in Lebanon is active," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told journalists. "Our ambassador, following remarks made by relevant Lebanese bodies and the conclusions reached, will continue his mission in Beirut and he is still there." Lebanese officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was not clear what Lebanon would might do next or how diplomatic relations might be affected. The Iranian ambassador is reportedly in the embassy, where he is believed to have diplomatic immunity. The Lebanese

Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon kills 3 journalists covering conflict

An Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon on Saturday killed three journalists who were covering the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, their TV stations said. Hezbollah's al-Manar TV said that its longtime correspondent Ali Shoeib was killed Saturday in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said that it had targeted Shoeib, accusing him of being a Hezbollah intelligence operative without providing evidence. Meanwhile, Beirut-based pan-Arab Al-Mayadeen TV said reporter Fatima Ftouni was killed in the same airstrike in the southern district of Jezzine along with her brother Mohammed, a video journalist. She had just been on air with a live report from southern Lebanon before the strike. Top officials in Lebanon condemned the strike, with President Joseph Aoun calling it a "flagrant crime that violates all laws and agreements that protect journalists." Al-Manar said in a report that an Israeli airstrike targeted journalists, leading to the "martyrdom of the icon of resistance media." A ..

Lebanon orders Iran's ambassador out, tensions rise over Tehran influence

Lebanon's Foreign Ministry declared Iran's ambassador to Beirut persona non grata Tuesday, ordering him to leave the country by the end of the week. The decision was the clearest sign yet of deteriorating relations between the two countries and raises tensions within Lebanon over the role of Tehran and its Lebanon-based ally, the militant Hezbollah group. The decision is the latest step taken by Lebanon's government against Iran after the most recent Israel-Hezbollah war broke out on March 2, during which Israel's military killed several members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard in strikes around the long-suffering country. Hezbollah triggered the latest war by firing rockets into Israel two days after Israel and the United States began their attacks on Iran, in which they killed top Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Hezbollah said one of the reasons it attacked Israel was to avenge the killing of Khamenei, who was one of the most important Shiite Muslim religious

Israel strikes Hezbollah's civilian, military wings, kills 12 in Lebanon

An Israeli strike on a health center in southern Lebanon instantly killed 12 medical workers, seriously wounded one and left four missing under the rubble for hours. The March 13 strike in the village of Burj Qalaouiyah, one of the single deadliest strikes in Lebanon since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2, targeted a center run by Hezbollah's health arm, the Islamic Health Society, which has so far lost 24 members over the past two weeks. Since the latest war began, Israel's military has not only been targeting the group's military assets but also its civilian institutions in an apparent attempt to weaken the Iran-backed group further and try to push its supporters away from it. Hezbollah is a political party as well as an armed group, and its health and social service institutions have helped strengthen its base of support over the years. In addition to health centers, Israel has destroyed more than a dozen branches of Hezbollah's financial arm, al-Qard al-Hasan. .

Video | Building collapses after Israeli strike in central Beirut

Video footage shows a multi-storey building in Bashoura, Beirut, Lebanon, collapsing after a missile strike on Wednesday morning.

Iran lashes out with attacks on Israel, Gulf nations as Israel hits Beirut

Iran lashed out following the killing of one of its top leaders in an airstrike with attacks on its Gulf neighbours and Israel on Wednesday, using some of its latest missiles to evade air defences and killing two near Tel Aviv as the war in the Middle East showed no signs of slowing. Israel kept up intense pressure on Lebanon with strikes it said targeted Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, hitting multiple apartment buildings in Beirut and killing at least six people. In Iran, the Bushehr nuclear power plant complex was hit by a projectile but there were no injuries and the plant suffered no damage, the International Atomic Energy Agency said after receiving a report from Tehran. The IAEA's leader, Rafael Grossi, reiterated his call "for maximum restraint during the conflict to prevent risk of a nuclear accident." The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, remained stubbornly over USD 100 per barrel in early trading on Wednesday, up more than 40 per cent from the start

Israeli strikes target Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon

The developments come amid the evolving security situation in West Asia and the Gulf

War rages as Israel expand attacks in Lebanon, Iran chokes shipping

The war in the Middle East raged on multiple fronts Monday, as the U.S. and Israel pummeled military targets in Iran's capital, Israel stepped up its campaign against Iran-backed militants in Lebanon and Iran retaliated with a drone strike that temporarily forced the closure of Dubai's airport, a crucial hub for travelers. Fears of a global energy crisis persisted, even as a small number of ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil is usually transported. Iranian strikes on commercial ships in and around the strait - and even just the threat of attacks - have slowed shipping to a trickle, dramatically increasing the price of oil and pressuring Washington to do something to ease the pain for consumers and the global economy. Brent crude, the international standard, remained over $100 a barrel on Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump said he has demanded that roughly a half-dozen countries send warships to keep the Strait of ...

Israeli Air Force says 200 targets struck in Iran, 5 killed in Lebanon

The Israeli military said the strikes were part of its ongoing campaign targeting Iran's ballistic missile network and air defence systems in multiple locations across the country

Missile, drone strikes on 4 US airbases; Israeli raids in southern Lebanon

The Iranian force also claimed that satellite imagery showed extensive damage to the targeted bases

Hezbollah fires missiles at advancing Israeli troops in south Lebanon

Meanwhile, Israeli forces attempted to advance into the border town of Aita al-Shaab, where gunfire and shelling were heard during clashes

Lebanon open to 'peace talks' with Israel but demands ceasefire first

The development comes as Israel threatens what could be its largest ground invasion of Lebanon since the 2006 War

UN peacekeeper lightly injured in firing near base in southern Lebanon

Apparent fire from a heavy machine gun sparked a blaze at the UN peacekeeping force position near the village of Mais al-Jabal when a UN peacekeeper was hurt on his way to a shelter in Lebanon. Kandice Ardiel, a spokeswoman for the UNIFIL peacekeeping force, said it launched an investigation and reminds all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers at all times. UN positions in southern Lebanon have been hit several times during exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah, including on March 6 when three peacekeepers were wounded at a UNIFIL base.

177 Indians return from Lebanon; 500 depart Qatar amid West Asia conflict

According to the Indian Embassy in Beirut, the first batch of 177 Indian nationals was repatriated to New Delhi on a charter flight arranged by their employer on Wednesday

Hezbollah faces rare criticism as fresh war with Israel displaces thousands

The Lebanese mother of two had just awakened to prepare the pre-dawn meal before another day of fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when Israeli warplanes began attacking southern Lebanon in retaliation for rockets and drones launched by Hezbollah. The family quickly packed up and headed toward Beirut, seeking safety from another deadly war between Israel and Hezbollah. With tens of thousands of others fleeing on that March 2 day, the usually one-hour trip from the southern city of Nabatiyeh took 15 hours. "I am against giving pretexts to Israel," said the 45-year-old woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from the Hezbollah supporters she lives among. "I am totally against Hezbollah's decision to start with the first strike," said the woman, who is now living with her husband, their 17- and 12-year-old children, and her mother-in-law inside a school turned into a shelter in the Lebanese capital. As Hezbollah enters a new round of fighting with

83 children killed amid escalating hostilities in Lebanon, says UNICEF

UN agency says dozens of children killed and hundreds injured as hostilities escalate and mass displacement spreads across Lebanon

Human Rights Watch says Israel used white phosphorus in southern Lebanon

The human rights group Human Rights Watch said in a report on Monday that the Israeli military "unlawfully" hit a village in southern Lebanon with shells containing white phosphorus, a controversial incendiary munition. Through geolocating and verifying seven images, Human Rights Watch said Israel fired white phosphorus using artillery at residential areas in the southern Lebanese village of Yohmor. It happened hours after the Israeli military warned the residents of the village and dozens of others in southern Lebanon to evacuate. Human Rights Watch said it couldn't independently identify if any residents were still in the area or if anyone was harmed. Human rights advocates say the use of white phosphorus is illegal under international law when the white-hot chemical substance is fired into populated areas. It can set buildings on fire and burn human flesh down to the bone. Survivors are at risk of infections and organ or respiratory failure, even if their burns are small. "The .

IDF conducts strikes in Lebanon, eliminates 5 senior IRGC commanders

The IDF said that these IRGC commanders were eliminated in the Roaring Lion Operation

Lebanon says 83 children among 400 killed in week of Hezbollah clash

Israel's renewed offensive began last week after Hezbollah launched rockets toward northern Israel during the opening days of the war