Beirut, October 13, 2023 (Xinhua) – The Commander of the United Nations Forces operating in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major General Aroldo Lazaro, warned of the possibility of the escalation between Lebanon and Israel getting out of control, which he said was “clear and must be stopped.”
This came in a statement issued by UNIFIL’s official spokesman, Andrea Tenenti, in which he announced that “at approximately 5:20 pm today, an intense exchange of fire took place between Lebanon and Israel in the vicinity of the towns of Alma al-Shaab, Aita al-Shaab, Al-Dhahira, Al-Adaysa and Hula.”
He added, “We learned with great sadness that during the aforementioned exchange of fire, a Lebanese photojournalist was killed, and there were also reports that other journalists were injured.”
He continued, “As tensions continue to escalate dangerously, the head of the UNIFIL mission and its Commander-in-Chief, Major General Aroldo Lazaro, calls for an urgent ceasefire. The possibility of this escalation getting out of control is clear, and it must be stopped.”
Tenenti pointed out that “UNIFIL actively cooperated with the authorities on both sides of the Blue Line to calm the situation.”
Earlier today, photojournalist Issam Abdullah from Reuters was killed in an Israeli bombing on the border town of Alma al-Shaab in southern Lebanon.
Five journalists from Al Jazeera, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse were also injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted their car in Alma al-Shaab.
Hezbollah described the killing of a journalist and the wounding of others by the Israeli bombing as a “heinous crime,” threatening that “the killing of Lebanese citizens and residents of Lebanese territory, and any attack on the security of our people and the safety of our country, will not pass without an appropriate response and punishment.”
Hezbollah announced in a statement issued today that it had bombed four Israeli sites in response to Israeli “aggressions” by bombing the vicinity of a number of southern Lebanese towns.
During the past few days, the situation on the border between Lebanon and Israel became tense after Hezbollah last Sunday fired missiles towards military sites in the Shebaa Farms in support of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation launched by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) last Saturday, and Israeli forces responded by firing artillery. Heavy weapons targeted several areas in eastern and southern Lebanon.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad also carried out missile attacks and infiltration from Lebanese territory.
Hezbollah also, following the killing of three of its members in an Israeli bombing, attacked Israeli sites with guided missiles in three separate operations, the last of which was the day before yesterday (Wednesday) targeting an Israeli military site, to which Israel responded with intense bombing that targeted southern Lebanon, wounding three civilians and damaging 10 homes. .
2023-10-13 21:09:45
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