Lebanon: Israeli Military Conducts Attack Simulation Drill on Northern Front

A house lies in ruins in the border village of Kfarshuba in southern Lebanon, following an Israeli strike on April 27, 2024 , amid ongoing cross-border tensions as fighting continues between Israel and Palestinian Hamas in Gaza. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)
A house lies in ruins in the border village of Kfarshuba in southern Lebanon, following an Israeli strike on April 27, 2024 , amid ongoing cross-border tensions as fighting continues between Israel and Palestinian Hamas in Gaza. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)
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Lebanon: Israeli Military Conducts Attack Simulation Drill on Northern Front

A house lies in ruins in the border village of Kfarshuba in southern Lebanon, following an Israeli strike on April 27, 2024 , amid ongoing cross-border tensions as fighting continues between Israel and Palestinian Hamas in Gaza. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)
A house lies in ruins in the border village of Kfarshuba in southern Lebanon, following an Israeli strike on April 27, 2024 , amid ongoing cross-border tensions as fighting continues between Israel and Palestinian Hamas in Gaza. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)

The Israeli army, in a sudden development, conducted on Friday a simulation of an attack operation on the northern front while intermittent exchange of shelling continued on the Israeli-Lebanese border with the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, announced the operation, stating via his account on social media platform “X" that "the forces of Brigade 282 have been performing defensive and offensive missions on the northern border for 3 months after their fighting on the southern front."
He added that a surprise exercise was conducted during the past week, during which various scenarios were trained, including the rapid deployment of artillery for offensive purposes, with the aim of simulating combat scenarios on the Lebanese border against Hezbollah.
This comes alongside the ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah that erupted since the Israeli war in Gaza on October 7.
On Friday the Israeli army said its “air defense system intercepted a drone that infiltrated from Lebanon into northern Israel”.
Sirens sounded in several towns west of Nahariya and Acre in the Upper Galilee, after the Iran-affiliate Al Mayadeen TV channel reported "missile launches from Lebanon towards an Israeli target deep in the western Galilee."
Meanwhile, intermittent Israeli shelling on Lebanese towns in South Lebanon continued. Hezbollah said on Thursday that it conducted an operation targeting the command headquarters of Brigade 91 in the Branit Barracks with rocket weapons.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Israeli shelling hit the towns of Al-Khiyam, the outskirts of al-Naqoura, outskirts of the town of Majdal Zoun, and Mount Hermon. An Israeli airstrike also targeted the outskirts of the town of Markaba in the eastern sector.



Hezbollah Chief Urges Lebanese State to ‘Deal Firmly' with Israel’s Violations

FILE PHOTO: Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem delivers an address from an unknown location, November 29, 2024, in this still image from video. Al Manar TV/Reuters TV via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem delivers an address from an unknown location, November 29, 2024, in this still image from video. Al Manar TV/Reuters TV via REUTERS
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Hezbollah Chief Urges Lebanese State to ‘Deal Firmly' with Israel’s Violations

FILE PHOTO: Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem delivers an address from an unknown location, November 29, 2024, in this still image from video. Al Manar TV/Reuters TV via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem delivers an address from an unknown location, November 29, 2024, in this still image from video. Al Manar TV/Reuters TV via REUTERS

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Saturday called on the Lebanese state to “deal firmly” with Israeli violations.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in a conflict parallel to the Gaza war in November. That ceasefire, which was brokered by the United States and France, requires Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon within 60 days, and for Hezbollah to remove all its fighters and weapons from the south.

Both sides have since accused each other of breaching the ceasefire.

"Don't test our patience and I call on the Lebanese state to deal firmly with these violations that have exceeded 100," Qassem said.

He also congratulated Palestinians over the Gaza ceasefire deal, saying in a speech that it proved the "persistence of resistance" against Israel.

The remarks were the first in public by the leader of the Iran-backed Lebanese group since Israel and Hamas reached the accord on Wednesday.

"This deal, which was unchanged from what was proposed in May 2024, proves the persistence of resistance groups, which took what they wanted while Israel was not able to take what it sought," he said.
Qassem also referred to the election of Lebanon's new president, Joseph Aoun, who commanded the Lebanese military until parliament elected him as head of state on Jan.9.

"Our contribution as Hezbollah and the Amal movement led to the election of the new president with consensus," Qassem said.

The nomination of Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam had angered Hezbollah, which accused opponents of seeking to exclude it.

Salam was nominated by a majority of lawmakers last week to form a government but did not win the backing of the Shiite parties Hezbollah and Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement.

Salam said the formation of a new government would not be delayed, indicating a positive atmosphere in discussions over its composition.