BEIRUT: Lebanon said Thursday that Israeli strikes killed six people in the country’s south, with Israel saying it struck Hezbollah operatives.
The strikes were the latest in a series of Israeli attacks on south Lebanon, despite a November ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah after more than a year of hostilities.
The Lebanese health ministry said “two people were killed in an enemy strike on the village of Baraashit” in Nabatieh district.
Earlier the ministry said an “Israeli enemy strike on a car in Yohmor Al-Shaqeef led to the death of three people,” in a statement reported by the National News Agency.
The news agency said a drone targeted a vehicle near the town, in a strike that came at the same time as artillery shelling.
The Israeli military said in a statement that “several Hezbollah terrorists were identified transferring weapons in the area of Yohmor in southern Lebanon,” adding that the army “struck the terrorists.”
NNA also reported that “one person was killed and another wounded in the Israeli drone targeting... of a car in the (southern) town Maaroub.”
The Israeli military said that overnight, the air force “struck and eliminated... a battalion commander” in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in the Derdghaiya area, near Maaroub.
It accused him of having “advanced and directed numerous terror attacks against Israeli civilians” and troops during the war, and of also directing “terror attacks against Israel’s Home Front” in recent months.
Israel has continued to carry out raids in Lebanon since the November 27 ceasefire, striking what it says are Hezbollah military targets that violated the truce agreement.
Last weekend saw the most intense escalation since the truce, with Israeli strikes in the south killing eight people, according to Lebanese officials.
Israel’s raids were in response to rocket fire, the first to hit its territory since the ceasefire.
No party has claimed responsibility for the rocket fire, which a military source said originated north of the Litani River, between the villages of Kfar Tebnit and Arnoun.
Hezbollah, heavily weakened by the war, denied involvement.
Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was to pull its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.
Israel was to withdraw its forces across the UN-demarcated Blue Line, the de facto border, but still holds five positions in south Lebanon that it deems strategic.
Lebanon says Israel strikes kill six people
https://arab.news/rn78n
Lebanon says Israel strikes kill six people
- The Lebanese health ministry said “two people were killed in an enemy strike on the village of Baraashit” in Nabatieh district
- Earlier the ministry said an “Israeli enemy strike on a car in Yohmor Al-Shaqeef led to the death of three people“
El-Sisi hails development of Egypt-EU relations
- El-Sisi and Kallas both stressed the need for full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement to ensure regular and unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave
CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Saturday praised the development of his country’s relationship with the European Union, “emphasizing the importance of sustaining efforts to deepen cooperation, especially after relations were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership,” according to state media.
El-Sisi made the remarks during a meeting with the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas.
El-Sisi and Kallas both stressed the need for full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement to ensure regular and unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave.
“During the meeting, Kallas expressed the European side’s appreciation for the ongoing cooperation with Egypt in various fields,” presidential spokesman Mohamed El-Shennawy said.
This cooperation was reflected in the holding of the first Egypt-EU summit in Brussels in October 2025, Kallas said.
The meeting addressed various other aspects of bilateral relations, with El-Sisi emphasizing the importance of implementing the outcomes of the first Egypt-EU summit and enhancing consultation and coordination on issues of mutual concern, particularly in political and security spheres, to support regional security and stability, according to the spokesman.
EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process Christophe Bigot was also present at the meeting, along with Rosamaria Gili, the deputy managing director for the Middle East and North Africa at the European External Action Service; Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty; head of the EU delegation to Egypt Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst; Christine O’Dwyer, a member of Kallas’ cabinet; and other senior EU officials.
Abdelatty said on Thursday that Egypt expects the remaining €4 billion ($4.66 billion) of a previously announced macro-financial assistance package from the EU to be disbursed in three tranches by 2027, and that he hoped the first tranche would be released “in the coming days” after Cairo completed its fifth and sixth program reviews with the International Monetary Fund, Reuters reported.
In 2024, the EU announced a €7.4 billion funding package for Egypt, including €5 billion in concessional loans. The package also includes investments and grants, and was partly a response to Egypt’s worsening financial position following the Gaza war, Red Sea tension and the economic fallout from the war in Ukraine.
