Lebanon ‘Will Not Allow’ Flare-up Along Southern Front with Israel

Lebanese soldiers near the Israeli border after people attempted to approach the crossing. (dpa)
Lebanese soldiers near the Israeli border after people attempted to approach the crossing. (dpa)
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Lebanon ‘Will Not Allow’ Flare-up Along Southern Front with Israel

Lebanese soldiers near the Israeli border after people attempted to approach the crossing. (dpa)
Lebanese soldiers near the Israeli border after people attempted to approach the crossing. (dpa)

A senior political source ruled out an escalation along the southern Lebanese border that could be an extension to the open military confrontation between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the source said that Hezbollah had no interest in expanding the confrontation to the South, which has been witnessing marches near the borders in solidarity with the Palestinians.

The prominent politician confirmed ongoing coordination between the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) command, Lebanese Army and the ruling forces in the South, represented by Hezbollah and the Amal movement.

The Eid al-Fitr celebrations in the southern villages were not affected by the tensions witnessed in some border areas. Those areas witnessed limited confrontations between demonstrators in front of Fatima Gate in the border town of Kafr Kila and Israeli soldiers. Lebanese army units, in cooperation with UNIFIL, managed to restore calm to the area.

According to the source, the symbolic participation of Hezbollah in the protest movements had more than a political meaning, which was evident in the modest presence of party members.

Moreover, the firing of three rockets from the southern village of Qoleilat was only a message of solidarity with the Gaza Strip and would not lead to a confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel, especially as the two sides have no interest in sparking a conflict in this area.

The source noted that any confrontation in the South would push Iran’s opponents to place the precision missiles, which Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah constantly boasts about, on the negotiating table.

The party wants to avoid such a scenario, according to the source, in light of the escalating political impasse in Lebanon over the stalled formation of a new government and the insistence of the Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai on the “internationalization” of the Lebanese crisis.

The patriarch has called for holding an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations to declare Lebanon’s neutrality, which would put Hezbollah’s weapons in the spotlight.



Israeli Strikes Kill at Least 25 in Gaza and Huckabee Makes First Appearance as US Ambassador

A man looks through the rubble to inspect a destroyed building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 18, 2025. (AFP)
A man looks through the rubble to inspect a destroyed building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 18, 2025. (AFP)
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Israeli Strikes Kill at Least 25 in Gaza and Huckabee Makes First Appearance as US Ambassador

A man looks through the rubble to inspect a destroyed building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 18, 2025. (AFP)
A man looks through the rubble to inspect a destroyed building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 18, 2025. (AFP)

Israeli airstrikes across Gaza killed at least 25 people on Friday including children, hospital workers said, as the new US ambassador to Israel made his first public appearance in Jerusalem.

The dead included 15 people killed in three strikes on the southern city of Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. Ten people were killed in Jabalia, including eight from the same home, according to the Indonesian Hospital, where the bodies were brought.

The strikes came a day after more than two dozen people died in Gaza as Israel continued attacks, pressuring Hamas to return the hostages and disarm.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee visited the Western Wall on Friday, the holiest Jewish prayer site in Jerusalem’s Old City. He inserted a prayer into the wall, which he said was handwritten by US President Donald Trump. "Those are his initials, D.T.,“ said Huckabee while showing the note to the media.

In his first act as ambassador, Huckabee said Trump told him to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Huckabee also said every effort was being made to bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas. A one-time presidential hopeful, Huckabee has acknowledged his past support for Israel’s right to annex the West Bank and incorporate its Palestinian population into Israel but said it would not be his “prerogative” to carry out that policy.

During his first term, Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital over Palestinian objections and moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv. Palestinians seek the eastern part of the city, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, as their future capital.

Huckabee's arrival comes at a pivotal time in the 18-month war, as international mediators including the US are trying to get a broken ceasefire back on track.

Israel is demanding that Hamas release more hostages at the start of any new ceasefire and ultimately agree to disarm and leave the territory. Israel has said it plans to occupy large “security zones” inside Gaza.

Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas’ negotiating delegation, said Thursday the group had rejected Israel’s latest proposal along those lines. He reiterated Hamas’ stance that it will return hostages only in exchange for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting truce, as called for in the now-defunct ceasefire agreement reached in January.

Hamas currently holds 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.

Friday’s airstrikes came a day after aid groups raised alarm over Israel’s blockade of Gaza, where it has barred entry of all food and other goods for more than six weeks. Thousands of children have become malnourished, and most people are barely eating one meal a day as stocks dwindle, the United Nations said.

Israel’s Defense Minister says the blockade is one of the “central pressure tactics” against Hamas, which Israel accuses of siphoning off aid to maintain its rule. Aid workers deny there is significant diversion of aid, saying the UN closely monitors distribution. Rights groups have called it a “starvation tactic.”

The war began when Hamas-led gunmen attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Most of the hostages have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel’s offensive has since killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.  

The war has destroyed vast parts of Gaza and most of its food production capabilities. The war has displaced around 90% of the population, with hundreds of thousands of people living in tent camps and bombed-out buildings.