BEIRUT: Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed eight members of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement on Saturday.
A civil defense paramedic also died of his wounds after being shot in the head by Israeli forces several days ago.
Burkan rockets launched by Hezbollah hit an Israeli military site in the Western Galilee region.
Israeli military reconnaissance aircraft flew over the villages of the western and central sectors throughout Friday night into Saturday, reaching the outskirts of the city of Tyre.
The Israeli army also fired flash bombs over the border villages adjacent to the Blue Line in the western and central sectors.
At dawn, Israeli forces fired weapons toward the outskirts of the towns of Ramyah and Aita Al-Shaab from their positions.
Saturday was marked by intensive Israeli airstrikes on targets in southern Lebanon.
Jets raided a courtyard near Beaufort Castle in the Nabatieh area, north of the Litani Line, targeting an abandoned room.
The town of Marjayoun was hit by Israeli airstrikes on Friday night for the first time since the start of hostilities on Oct. 8, targeting a center affiliated with the Amal Movement, a Hezbollah ally.
Hezbollah, a close ally of the Palestinian group Hamas, says its campaign aims to pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza.
The town of Khiam was hit by intense artillery and phosphorus shelling in the early morning.
Israeli jets also attacked a house in the town of Tayr Harfa, without causing casualties.
Another airstrike targeted the town of Labbouneh on the outskirts of Naqoura.
Lebanon’s civil defense crews worked throughout Friday night to recover the bodies of two victims from under the rubble of a destroyed home in Mays Al-Jabal, which was targeted by Israeli airstikes.
Israeli Army Radio said that warning sirens sounded in the town of Shlomi in the Western Galilee.
Hezbollah said that it targeted a group of Israeli soldiers near the military site of Ramya with artillery fire.
It also announced the targeting of the Israeli military site of Malikiya with “a precision missile strike.”
Hezbollah also targeted the Israeli site of Jal Al-Alam in the Western Galilee.
According to the government displacement crisis management committee in Lebanon, hostile operations have resulted in 331 deaths and about 1,000 injuries.
Additionally, 75 public and private schools in border and background towns have been closed since the start of the war.
About 790 hectares of agricultural land has been damaged and 340,000 livestock killed.
A recent government survey conducted in tandem with international organizations found that about 140,000 people have been displaced in Lebanese border towns.
Of these, about 93,000 have registered with municipalities while 60,000 remain in conflict areas.
8 Hezbollah, Amal fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon
https://arab.news/nncbc
8 Hezbollah, Amal fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon
- Israeli military reconnaissance aircraft flew over the villages of the western and central sectors throughout Friday night into Saturday
- At dawn, Israeli forces fired weapons toward the outskirts of the towns of Ramyah and Aita Al-Shaab from their positions
Israel’s Supreme Court suspends govt move to shut army radio
- Israel’s Supreme Court has issued an interim order suspending a government decision to shut down Galei Tsahal, the country’s decades-old and widely listened-to military radio station
JERUSALEM: Israel’s Supreme Court has issued an interim order suspending a government decision to shut down Galei Tsahal, the country’s decades-old and widely listened-to military radio station.
In a ruling issued late Sunday, Supreme Court President Isaac Amit said the suspension was partly because the government “did not provide a clear commitment not to take irreversible steps before the court reaches a final decision.”
He added that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara supported the suspension.
The cabinet last week approved the closure of Galei Tsahal, with the shutdown scheduled to take effect before March 1, 2026.
Founded in 1950, Galei Tsahal is widely known for its flagship news programs and has long been followed by both domestic and foreign correspondents.
A government audience survey ranks it as Israel’s third most listened-to radio station, with a market share of 17.7 percent.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged ministers to back the closure, saying there had been repeated proposals over the years to remove the station from the military, abolish it or privatise it.
But Baharav-Miara, who also serves as the government’s legal adviser and is facing dismissal proceedings initiated by the premier, has warned that closing the station raised “concerns about possible political interference in public broadcasting.”
She added that it “poses questions regarding an infringement on freedom of expression and of the press.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz said last week that Galei Tsahal broadcasts “political and divisive content” that does not align with military values.
He said soldiers, civilians and bereaved families had complained that the station did not represent them and undermined morale and the war effort.
Katz also argued that a military-run radio station serving the general public is an anomaly in democratic countries.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid had condemned the closure decision, calling it part of the government’s effort to suppress freedom of expression ahead of elections.
Israel is due to hold parliamentary elections in 2026, and Netanyahu has said he will seek another term as prime minister.
