Intensive airstrikes from Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) inside Lebanon continue unabated’ more than 90,000 people displaced from their homes in Lebanon…reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Thursday to continue “full force” strikes against Hezbollah until the group halts its cross-border rocket attacks, dampening hopes of a ceasefire proposal recently advanced by US and European allies.
With intensive airstrikes from Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) inside Lebanon continue unabated, and more than 90,000 people displaced from their homes, the Jewish state refused to heed calls for a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that “the report on a ceasefire is untrue.”
The office said that Netanyahu “didn’t even respond to” the ceasefire proposal, which was brokered by the United States and France.
Also on Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not consider a truce, Xinhua news agency reported.
“There won’t be a ceasefire,” he wrote on social media platform X. He said the country would continue its fight against Hezbollah “until victory and until residents could return to their homes in the north.”
Hezbollah Commander killed
In a significant blow to Hezbollah, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) announced the elimination of Muhammad Hussein Srour, Commander of the organisation’s Aerial Command, in a precision airstrike in Beirut.
Sharing a post on X, the IDF wrote, “Eliminated: Commander of Hezbollah’s Aerial Command, Muhammad Hussein Srour, in a precise IAF strike in Beirut.”
The IDF further said that Srour was responsible for advancing numerous aerial terrorist attacks targeting Israeli civilians. “Srour advanced and directed numerous aerial terrorist attacks aimed at Israeli civilians. During the “Iron Swords” war, he executed several terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers using UAVs and explosive devices,” the post said.
“In recent years, Srour led the manufacturing project of UAVs in southern Lebanon and established UAV manufacturing and intelligence gathering sites in Lebanon, located adjacent to civilian infrastructure in Beirut and southern Lebanon,” the post added.
The IDF also said that Srour’s role extended to the commander of the surface-to-air missile unit, as well as the “Aziz” Unit of the Radwan Force. It said, “He was also the commander in the surface-to-air missile unit, commander in the “Aziz” Unit of the Radwan Force and Hezbollah’s emissary to Yemen and the Houthi terrorist regime’s Aerial Command.”
UNSC holds emergency meeting
Requested by France, the UN Security Council on Wednesday convened an emergency meeting on Lebanon, the second meeting on the country’s deteriorating situation in less than a week, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying that “hell is breaking loose in Lebanon.”
In his remarks, Guterres urged the Security Council “to work in lock-step” to end the escalating violence between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants across the Blue Line, a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah and Israel must pull back from the brink of a potentially catastrophic regional war, he insisted, adding that there was now massive civilian displacement from southern and eastern Lebanon towards the Lebanese capital of Beirut, while the Israelis have endured repeated attacks from Hezbollah with more than 8,300 rockets, drones and increasingly high caliber missile attacks on military targets and residential areas.
90,000 displaced
Lebanon violence has displaced more than 90,000 people from their homes, with 70,000 cramming into 400 schools and other sites, UN humanitarians said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tallied the number of displacements since Monday with data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which reported it expects the numbers to increase, Xinhua news agency reported.
OCHA said it is gravely concerned over the safety of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Syria estimated that more than 10,000 people — both Lebanese and Syrians — have crossed from Lebanon into Syria due to the hostilities.
The office said the world body and its partners provide food, water, mattresses and hygiene kits. The recent escalation of violence is also affecting education, health, and other vital civilian facilities in Lebanon.
OCHA said Lebanon’s Ministry of Education postponed the start of the school year until October 14, which affects thousands of students nationwide.
The office said Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday damaged four more water stations, bringing the total number of such facilities impacted since October 2023 to 24, affecting access to clean water for more than 250,000 people.
OCHA said the fighting forced 18 primary healthcare centres to close on Thursday.
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