Arab League warns Israeli attacks threaten Lebanon settlement

The Arab League on Saturday issued a strong condemnation of Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon that killed at least 11 civilians, warning that the escalating violence threatens to undermine diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict and end the occupation in the region.

'Blatant violation of sovereignty'

Lebanese authorities announced that Israeli airstrikes on towns in the Nabatieh district had killed 11 people and wounded 19 others, including women and children, despite a ceasefire agreement reached on April 17. A statement from the regional bloc's secretary-general spokesperson described the attacks on Nabatieh and neighboring villages since Saturday morning as "a blatant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and a dangerous escalation that threatens to derail any efforts aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict and ending the occupation."

The statement added that "these Israeli policies and practices blatantly expose the occupation's intentions to prolong the confrontations, obstruct negotiations, and impose a new reality on the ground that is completely unacceptable and rejected." It warned of the danger of broader confrontations unless the international community, particularly the United States, intervenes "to immediately stop the Israeli war machine and compel Israel to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1701."

Saturday strikes hit Nabatieh district

Israeli warplanes carried out strikes targeting a house in the town of Ansar and a two-story building in Deir al-Zahrani in the Nabatieh district, while the army also shelled the Ali al-Taher hill area with phosphorus munitions and conducted two airstrikes near the Teachers' Training Institute in Nabatieh al-Fawqa. The Israeli army claimed that the strikes came in response to an "action" carried out by Hezbollah against its forces in the Ali al-Taher hills area, located within what Israel calls the "security zone" in southern Lebanon, according to military statements.

Hezbollah cites Netanyahu's 'electoral objectives'

Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the Israeli claim regarding the Ali al-Taher incident. However, the group said in a statement that "this Israeli escalation, through the targeting of civilians and the expansion of the areas being attacked, reflects the desire and intention of the criminal enemy Prime Minister Netanyahu to escalate the war in order to strengthen his domestic political position, serve his electoral objectives, and appease the far right."

The escalation comes despite Lebanon and Israel signing a "framework formula" on June 26 providing for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the continuation of negotiations between the two sides. Israel currently occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 war, while during the current offensive it has advanced more than 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory beyond the Blue Line.