The Lebanese health ministry said a child was among three people killed in an Israeli strike in the country’s south on Thursday, amid ongoing exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Friday, September 13, 2024
Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets from Lebanon towards settlements in northern Israel on Thursday, Israeli media reported.
Thursday, September 12, 2024
COP29 is not just a global conference; it is a beacon of hope and action in the fight against climate change. We hope that this November in Baku we will see firsthand the renewed vigor and commitment to continue this fight in the face of such impending danger.
Friday, September 6, 2024
The continuing cross-border conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s armed Hezbollah party is “just another episode” in a lengthy war of attrition as long as a ceasefire in Gaza remains elusive, analysts said.
Thursday, September 5, 2024
French authorities foiled three plots to attack the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris and other cities that hosted the summer events, the national counterterrorism prosecutor said on Wednesday.
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Norway captain Martin Odegaard injured an ankle on Monday ahead of a key series of games for his club Arsenal.
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Monday 2 September 2024 09:37:21
The border between Israel and Lebanon is considered one of the most hostile places in the world at the moment.
Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have been trading tit-for-tat cross-border strikes for almost a year.
August 25 saw the heaviest exchange of fire in months before both sides pulled back, avoiding a wider conflict.
While fears of an all-out war have somewhat eased, tensions remain high, especially among residents living on either side of the border and caught in the crossfire.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has been raining rocket and drone attacks on Israel for more than 10 months, immediately after last year’s Oct 7 attacks by Hamas gunmen on Israel.
Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire ever since, as war rages in Gaza to the south.
Tens of thousands of Israeli civilians have been evacuated from their homes in the northern border region, but some are determined to stay put despite grave danger.
Local couple Ayelet and Avishai Lev live in the Israeli kibbutz of Gonen, near the border with Lebanon.
Their village falls just outside the 5km evacuation zone set by the Israeli government, but they have been affected by rocket fire as well.
When the missile attacks started, they took their four children and fled to Mr Lev's sister’s home further south.
But Mrs Lev came back after two months.
“I don’t leave here, I don’t care. Whatever will happen will happen, I’m staying here. (I told my husband): ‘You can do whatever you want with the children, but I won't leave this house’,” she said, adding that the whole family soon returned.
The couple are adamant that despite the risk, they will never again abandon their home. However, they acknowledged they see the effect of that decision on their children.
“They are afraid and they don’t sleep at night. They are all the time (afraid that) something is going to happen, like they need to be ready,” said Mrs Lev.
Many residents in northern Israel told CNA they are furious about the security situation and feel abandoned by their government.
Mr Gidi Harari, a Shear Yashuv resident who is a volunteer civilian defender, said Israeli leaders have not done enough to protect those near the northern borders.
“We feel forgotten because we don't see anyone (from the government) coming and asking us what we feel and what we want. The people are alone here,” he said.
Residents in border areas have been instructed by the Israel Defense Forces to stay close to shelters and to limit gatherings.
Hezbollah had said its early morning attack on Aug 25 was only the initial phase of its retaliation for the assassination of top military commander Fuad Shukr in south Beirut in July.
Israel – and the wider region – are also anticipating a promised strike by Iran, after the head of Hamas’ political bureau Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran.
Fears of an all-out war between Israel and Iran have prompted the United States and its allies to deploy additional warships and military hardware to the region, and hastened efforts by international mediators to broker peace in Gaza.
Across the border in Lebanon, more than 800 people have been killed by Israeli strikes since last October, when Hezbollah started an offensive against Israel in support of Hamas.
Most of the dead are Hezbollah fighters, but about 100 are civilians and non-combatants.
More than 100,000 people have fled their homes in the country’s south since hostilities erupted, while those still living along the border are grappling with fear over how the conflict would play out.
“I cannot go into my house and sleep with peace of mind,” said Mr Jamil Al-Jouki, a Bourj Al-Muluk resident.
His family is among 150,000 who have remained within the conflict zone, saying they want to stay close to their farms and vineyards.
“Our land is around us, but we cannot go there, we cannot. We are sitting drinking coffee with oppression and fear,” he said.
Lebanon is already buckling under years of political, financial and economic crises, resulting in the loss of jobs and poor provision of basic services.
The protracted conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has only added to the strain.
Residents of Lebanon's capital Beirut, which has seen a handful of Israeli airstrikes in the latest hostilities, are concerned about the potential of a full-scale war.
“Let's hope for the best. Hopefully, there won't be a war, and our economy and country will recover and thrive. No one wishes for war. But if war breaks out, there will be no escape,” said resident Ahmed Baltaji.
But some locals appear less anxious, believing the conflict is unlikely to escalate further.
“Nothing will happen. Things have calmed down in the country; it's done, it stops here,” said resident Samir Qawas.
Some Lebanese have criticised Hezbollah for initiating attacks on Israel.
But the militant group still enjoys broad support, particularly in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where it has political and security operations.
“This resistance in Lebanon has never let us down. It is our support. We promise Israel that if they approach Dahieh again, we will respond once more,” said suburban Beirut resident Ali Sadiq, referring to a neighbourhood that is a Hezbollah stronghold.
For Lebanese tired of living with uncertainty, the hope is that there will be a ceasefire in Gaza so that normal life can resume – a sentiment that is particularly strong along the country's beleaguered southern border.
