Israel ‘has gone too far,’ Lebanon’s caretaker PM warns

BEIRUT, Lebanon

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned what he described as repeated Israeli violations of the country’s sovereignty in a meeting on Thursday with Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro, UNIFIL’s head of mission and force commander.

Mikati told the leader of the peacekeeping force that Israel has ignored UN resolutions for years, and called for “voices to be raised” in the UN in support of Lebanon.

The caretaker prime minister’s comments coincided with the funeral of Hamas deputy political leader Saleh Al-Arouri, who died in a suspected drone strike in southern Beirut on Tuesday.

Al-Arouri was buried in the Palestinian Al-Shuhada cemetery in Shatila, Beirut, along with two Hamas officials, Azzam Al-Aqra’ and Mohammed Al-Rayes, who were also killed in the blast.

Gunshots were fired in the air during the funeral, and mourners raised the Palestinian flag and banners of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Lebanese security services are investigating Al-Arouri’s death, while Hezbollah is also carrying out its own probe into the assassination.

A security source said that the investigations are “complex,” and focused on the type of drone, its route, and the specifications of the missiles launched.

Retired Brig. Gen. George Nader suggested in a media statement that there might be “an agent from the decision-making circle, and not from outside, if we were to talk about a security breach.”

Nader said: “Israel has technology that allows it to fly drones at 30,000 feet or 7,000 meters without being heard or seen. Fighter jets can launch missiles at a distance of 15,000 meters without being heard or seen, with very high accuracy exceeding 99 percent.”

He added: “There are two ceilings above the room where Al-Arouri was present that were destroyed and fell on him. This indicates the capabilities that Israel possesses.

“Technically, the assassination has several possibilities, and we must wait for the investigation.”

Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, in a statement denouncing Al-Arouri’s assassination, questioned the reason for “the presence of this number of armed Palestinian organizations and other armed organizations in various Lebanese regions, including in Beirut’s southern suburbs.”

He said: “In principle, this matter requires the approval of the Lebanese official authorities, especially since Lebanon is ultimately a republic that must preserve and protect its sovereignty and emphasize not endangering its security and stability.”

Siniora’s reaction came as Israel’s operations on Thursday targeted border villages, including Maroun Al-Ras, near a Lebanese army point, where a fighter jet launched two air-to-surface missiles.

The Israeli army attacked the former Israeli detention site in the town of Khiam with phosphorus bombs, and shelled the outskirts of Bint Jbeil, Yaroun, and Aita Al-Shaab. 

Hezbollah announced on Thursday that it had targeted “a position of Israeli soldiers in Shtula and the Al-Jardah military point, and a gathering of soldiers in Metula and the Branit military site, achieving direct hits.”

Israeli media said Hezbollah fired an anti-tank missile toward Metula, hitting a building there.

Israeli drone strikes continued late on Wednesday and Thursday, targeting residential buildings.

Hezbollah paid a heavy toll, losing nine fighters in less than 24 hours, including field official Hussein Hadi Yazbek in the Naqoura area.

On Wednesday evening, the Israeli army stepped up its attacks, destroying a three-story building in Naqoura with drones.

Among Hezbollah members killed were Hadi Ali Rida from Teffahta, Ibrahim Afif Fahs from Jibchit, and Hussein Ali Mohammad Ghazaleh from Adloun, in addition to Abbas Hassan Jammoul, Hassan Dakik, and Mohammad Hadi Obeid.