Less than a day after the Lebanese Army deployed in Khiam near the southern border with UN peacekeepers, an Israeli drone strike hit the town. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the attack as "blatant treachery."
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported one person killed and two injured in the strike.
The attack followed the Lebanese Army’s initial deployment in Khiam on Wednesday, where residents were advised to stay away until further notice.
Mikati condemned the Israeli airstrike, calling it “blatant treachery” that violated the ceasefire brokered by the US and France. He urged both nations to take a clear stance and demanded the monitoring committee act decisively to prevent further violations.
The Lebanese Army began its gradual deployment in Khiam on Wednesday, establishing positions at five locations before an engineering unit moved into the town on Thursday.
The Lebanese Army’s engineering unit entered Khiam on Thursday afternoon, inspected the area for explosives, and began clearing debris and opening roads. The operation, coordinated with UN peacekeepers, focused on five key points.
Military sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israel has no clear plan for a full withdrawal from border villages, with the pullout happening gradually under UN supervision.
The US said it is monitoring the Israeli withdrawal from Khiam.
US Central Command reported that Gen. Michael Kurilla visited Beirut on Wednesday to oversee the first phase of the withdrawal under last month’s ceasefire agreement. He also met with Lebanese Army chief General Joseph Aoun at a ceasefire monitoring site.
Kurilla visited Beirut to monitor the first phase of the Israeli withdrawal and the Lebanese Army’s deployment in Khiam as part of the ceasefire agreement.
Kurilla called it “an important first step” toward a lasting halt to hostilities and progress in the region.
He also met Lebanese Army chief General Joseph Aoun to discuss the security situation in Syria, its impact on stability, and ways to strengthen military cooperation between the Lebanese Army and US Central Command.
