Lebanon placed its army on high alert Thursday after President Joseph Aoun ordered troops to confront any Israeli incursion into the country’s south, following an overnight Israel Defense Forces raid in the village of Blida near the border.
According to Lebanese media reports, the army began deploying reinforcements and setting up new positions in southern villages, including in Blida, where the IDF said it targeted a site recently used by Hezbollah terrorists.
Footage shows Lebanese army setting up a military post
The Lebanese presidency said Aoun instructed the army commander, Rudolf Haykal, “to confront any Israeli incursion into the liberated lands of southern Lebanon to defend Lebanon’s territory and the safety of its citizens.”
The order came hours after Israeli troops entered the Blida municipal building, opposite Kibbutz Yiftach in Israel’s Upper Galilee region. A municipal worker, identified as Ibrahim Salameh, was killed in the operation. Lebanese media claimed he was shot while sleeping in the building, describing the incident as “an execution.”
The IDF said the man was found inside the structure and that troops followed standard arrest procedures. According to the military, soldiers identified “an immediate threat” and opened fire. The army said the building had been used by Hezbollah terrorists for recent activity and that the incident remains under investigation.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the raid, calling it “a blatant assault on Lebanon’s state institutions and sovereignty.” He expressed solidarity with residents of the south, saying they “pay the price every day for their attachment to their land and their right to live in security and dignity under the authority of the state.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s security cabinet met Thursday evening to discuss the situation in Lebanon amid Hezbollah’s continued violations of the UN-brokered ceasefire and signs the group is rebuilding its military capabilities with Iran’s support.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, meeting with UN envoy Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert in Jerusalem, said Hezbollah “continues to intensify its efforts to recover and rebuild its strength with Iran’s backing. This is dangerous to Israel’s security just as it threatens Lebanon’s future. Israel cannot bury its head in the sand in the face of this trend.”
Salam accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and said Lebanon is pressing the United Nations and its international partners “to ensure an end to repeated violations and the implementation of a full Israeli withdrawal from our land.”