Israel Kills at Least 21 in Strike on Christian Town in North Lebanon

Rescuers work at a site damaged by an Israeli air strike in the Christian-majority region of Aitou in north Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said, October 14, 2024. (Reuters)
Rescuers work at a site damaged by an Israeli air strike in the Christian-majority region of Aitou in north Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said, October 14, 2024. (Reuters)
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Israel Kills at Least 21 in Strike on Christian Town in North Lebanon

Rescuers work at a site damaged by an Israeli air strike in the Christian-majority region of Aitou in north Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said, October 14, 2024. (Reuters)
Rescuers work at a site damaged by an Israeli air strike in the Christian-majority region of Aitou in north Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said, October 14, 2024. (Reuters)

Israel expanded its targets in its war with Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon on Monday, killing at least 21 people in an airstrike in the north, health officials said, while millions of Israelis took shelter from projectiles fired back across the border.

So far the main focus of Israel's military operations in Lebanon has been in the south, the Bekaa Valley in the east and the suburbs of Beirut.

The strike in the Christian-majority town of Aitou hit a house that had been rented to displaced families, the town's mayor Joseph Trad told Reuters. In addition to the deaths, eight people were injured, the Lebanese health ministry said.

Local television aired footage of the aftermath of the attack in Aitou, showing rescue workers searching through piles of rubble and medics lifting a victim, wrapped in white shroud, into an ambulance. Burned vehicles and trees were strewn across the site of the strike, and thick smoke rose into the air.

Israel ordered residents of 25 villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate to areas north of the Awali River, which flows some 60 km (35 miles) north of the Israeli frontier.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting the military base in central Israel where four soldiers were killed on Sunday by a Hezbollah drone strike, said Israel would continue to attack the Iran-backed movement "without mercy, everywhere in Lebanon – including Beirut".

At the Masnaa border crossing with Syria, Jalal Ferhat, his wife and five children were among those offloading belongings from buses, hoping to leave Lebanon.

"There are strikes in our neighborhood and destruction, and they (Israeli forces) hit near my house," said Ferhat, 40, from Baalbek, a Hezbollah stronghold in eastern Lebanon. "I have children, you can't just stay where you are. We tried going to another place...we had to leave again."

In central Israel, residents rushed to shelters as sirens sounded. The military said three projectiles that had crossed from Lebanon had been intercepted. No injuries were reported.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah resumed a year ago when the armed group began firing rockets at Israel in support of Palestinian militants Hamas at the start of the Gaza war, and has escalated sharply in recent weeks.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 2,309 people in Lebanon over the last year, the Lebanese government said in its daily update. The majority have been killed since late September when Israel expanded its military campaign. The toll does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Israel says its operations in Lebanon are aimed at securing the return of tens of thousands of people displaced from their homes in northern Israel.

ISRAEL AT ODDS WITH UN PEACEKEEPERS

The Israeli military said it had killed Muhammad Kamel Naim, commander of the anti-tank missile unit of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, in a strike in the Nabatieh area of south Lebanon.

Hezbollah did not immediately comment.

The operations come amid tensions between Israel and the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in south Lebanon, as Israel keeps pushing forces through the area in an attempt to wipe out Hezbollah and its military infrastructure while it also battles Hamas in Gaza.

The UN said Israeli tanks had burst into its base on Sunday, the latest allegations of Israeli violations against peacekeeping forces.

Israel disputed the UN account and Netanyahu said UNIFIL were providing "human shields" for Hezbollah, an allegation Hezbollah denies.

Meanwhile, the entire Middle East remains on high alert for Israel to retaliate against Iran for an Oct. 1 barrage of missiles launched in response to Israel's assaults on Lebanon.

The Pentagon said on Sunday it would send US troops to Israel along with an advanced US anti-missile system.

On Monday, the US embassy in Lebanon strongly encouraged its citizens to leave "now", warning that additional flights laid on by the government to help US citizens leave since Sept. 27 would not continue indefinitely.

The Israeli military took foreign journalists into southern Lebanon on Sunday and showed them a Hezbollah tunnel shaft that was less than 200 meters away (650 feet) from a UNIFIL position, as well as weapon stashes that the troops found.

"We are actually standing in a military base of Hezbollah very close to the UN," Brigadier General Yiftach Norkin said, pointing to the shaft's trapdoor in an area covered by undergrowth and overlooked by a UN observation post.

Since announcing its ground operation near the border, the Israeli military says that it has destroyed dozens of Hezbollah tunnel shafts, rocket launchers and command posts.

UNIFIL has said previous Israeli attacks limited its monitoring abilities and UN sources say they fear any violations of international law in the conflict will be impossible to monitor.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said EU member states had taken too long to condemn Israel's attacks on UNIFIL soldiers, describing them as "completely unacceptable".

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged EU members to respond to a request by Madrid and Ireland to suspend the bloc's free trade agreement with Israel over its attacks in Lebanon and Gaza.

EU countries, led by Italy, France and Spain, have thousands of troops in the 10,000-strong peacekeeping mission.



Lebanon to Increase Army Personnel Ahead of Possible Deployment South of Litani

Prime Minister Najib Mikati chairing the cabinet meeting (Photo: The Prime Minister’s office)
Prime Minister Najib Mikati chairing the cabinet meeting (Photo: The Prime Minister’s office)
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Lebanon to Increase Army Personnel Ahead of Possible Deployment South of Litani

Prime Minister Najib Mikati chairing the cabinet meeting (Photo: The Prime Minister’s office)
Prime Minister Najib Mikati chairing the cabinet meeting (Photo: The Prime Minister’s office)

The Lebanese government has approved funding to recruit 1,500 new military personnel in the Lebanese Army as part of an initiative to increase military presence along the southern border, amid Israel’s ongoing hostilities.
The funds will be provided to the Ministry of Defense as an advance, a decision highlighted by the Minister of Information for its political and international significance, particularly in relation to implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati in the caretaker government emphasized that continued and escalating Israeli attacks on Lebanon amount to crimes against humanity. He stated that a primary pathway to a resolution involves halting hostilities against the country, fully implementing Resolution 1701, and electing a new president to restore institutional order, stability, and initiate reconstruction.

Mikati condemned what he described as an international failure to stop Israel’s actions against Lebanon, which include attacks on towns and villages, civilian deaths, and strikes against medical and relief personnel.
“We condemn and hold the international community responsible for the continuation of Israel’s genocidal war on Lebanon, its destruction of towns and villages, killing of civilians, assassination of army personnel, and targeting of medical teams, civil defense, relief teams, and journalists.
“Additionally, the attacks on UNIFIL, which represents international legitimacy, make targeting UNIFIL an assault on the international community and the Security Council. This destruction continues to affect hospitals, schools, and educational centers,” stated Mikati.
On the international front, Mikati highlighted the solidarity shown by world figures, referring to his discussions with leaders like Jordan’s King Abdullah, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, and Britain’s Prime Minister. This was further demonstrated during the Paris Conference in Support of Lebanon -late on October- he underlined, specifically thanking France for its humanitarian efforts and military support.
But he added: “But unfortunately, Israel is blatantly disregarding all international efforts to achieve a ceasefire.”
The prime minister reiterated Lebanon’s stance on safeguarding its dignity and sovereignty across air, sea, and land, pledging to confront any Israeli violations.
Following the cabinet meeting, Minister of Information Ziad Makari assured that funds to recruit 1,500 additional soldiers are available and that the government encountered no issues regarding this allocation.
Nasser Yassin, the government’s Emergency Committee coordinator, announced that the cabinet approved fuel allocations for 541 shelters in mountainous regions over 300 meters in altitude to ensure winter heating. Yassin also detailed efforts concerning the people displaced as the result of the Israeli hostilities in Lebanon.
He highlighted that there are 44,000 families in 1,138 shelters and an additional 147,000 families housed within communities.