Israel Bombs Ten Hezbollah Sites in South Lebanon

People inspect the damage at the site of an airstrike in Habbariyah, southern Lebanon, 27 March 2024.  EPA/STR
People inspect the damage at the site of an airstrike in Habbariyah, southern Lebanon, 27 March 2024. EPA/STR
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Israel Bombs Ten Hezbollah Sites in South Lebanon

People inspect the damage at the site of an airstrike in Habbariyah, southern Lebanon, 27 March 2024.  EPA/STR
People inspect the damage at the site of an airstrike in Habbariyah, southern Lebanon, 27 March 2024. EPA/STR

The Israeli army said on Monday that its warplanes have bombed nearly ten Hezbollah targets in South Lebanon, according to the Arab Press Agency.
In a statement, the Israeli army said the targets included a weapons storage facility, missile launch sites, and infrastructure belonging to the group in the Rashaya al-Fukhar area in southern Lebanon.
On Sunday, the Israeli military said it killed a Hezbollah commander in an airstrike on a vehicle in Lebanon, identifying him as Ismail Al-Zin, a commander in the anti-tank missile unit of Hezbollah's Radwan Forces.
Hezbollah began launching rockets from hilltops and villages in southern Lebanon at Israel on Oct. 8 in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, which carried out a cross-border attack into Israel the previous day that triggered a fierce Israeli land, air and sea offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Israel's shelling of Lebanon has killed nearly 270 Hezbollah fighters, but has also killed around 50 civilians - including children, medics and journalists - and hit both UNIFIL and the Lebanese army.
The US and other countries have sought to secure a diplomatic resolution to the exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel. Hezbollah said it will not halt fire before a ceasefire is implemented in Gaza.



US Journalist Missing in Syria Since 2012 Is Believed to Be Alive, Says Aid Group

A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
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US Journalist Missing in Syria Since 2012 Is Believed to Be Alive, Says Aid Group

A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)

American journalist Austin Tice is believed to be still alive, according to the head of an international aid group.

Nizar Zakka, who runs the Hostage Aid Worldwide organization, said there has never been any proof that Tice, who has been missing since 2012, is dead.

He told reporters in Damascus on Tuesday that Tice was alive in January and being held by the authorities of ousted Bashar al-Assad. He added that US President Joe Biden said in August that Tice was alive.

Zakka said Tice was transferred between security agencies over the past 12 years, including in an area where Iranian-backed fighters were operating.

Asked if it was possible Tice had been taken out of the country, Zakka said Assad most likely kept him in Syria as a potential bargaining chip.

Biden said Dec. 8 that his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged that “we have no direct evidence” of his status.