The Israeli army reported on Saturday that it “thwarted the launching of a surface-to-air missile from Lebanon at one of its drones,” while the Lebanese authorities issued a circular containing guidelines and instructions to evacuate Beirut International Airport in a state of emergency as tensions escalate on the borders of the two countries.
Published on: 10/28/2023 – 16:50
2 minutes
I explained Israel On Saturday, its air defense was able to intercept a surface-to-air missile launched from Lebanon at one of its drones.
The Israeli army said that it “thwarted a surface-to-air missile that was launched from Lebanon towards an army drone. In response, the Israeli army is bombing the source of the missile launch.”
There has been no comment yet from the Hezbollah group, which said that 47 of its fighters had been killed as of Friday in clashes on the border.
The United Nations Interim Force in South Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced on Saturday that its general headquarters was hit by a shell, and it is working to verify its source, in light of the military escalation between Hezbollah and Israel in the border area coinciding with the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told Agence France-Presse that “a shell fell inside the headquarters and its source is being verified,” noting that there was some damage but no casualties.
Sources have previously said that Hezbollah’s attacks aim only to keep the Israeli army busy without igniting a major war. Israel said that it was not in its interest to go to war and that it would maintain the status quo if Hezbollah exercised restraint.
In addition, as tensions flared again, the Lebanese authorities issued a circular to evacuate the airport and its surrounding facilities in case of emergency. The circular did not mention any current escalation on the border.
It is noteworthy that the conflict in Gaza, where Israel intensified its ground attack, increased fears of the expansion of the scope of fighting in the region, including the troubled Lebanese border.
Moreover, daily exchanges of fire have occurred between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza three weeks ago, in the largest confrontations on the Lebanese-Israeli border since the 2006 war between the two sides.
That year, the runways of Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, located on the southern edge of the capital, were subjected to an Israeli air strike, forcing it to close. The bombing also hit other infrastructure in Lebanon.
France 24/Reuters
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2023-10-28 14:50:03
