Lebanon: Israeli strikes kill three people, one journalist

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah stated that on January 26 an Israeli strike killed television presenter Ali Nour al-Din, who worked for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV. According to Middle East Eye, the attack took place in the south of the country, specifically in the city of Tyre.

A spokesperson for the Lebanese Shiite organization warned of “the danger of Israel’s extended escalations [in Lebanon] to include the media community.”

Lebanon’s Minister of Information, Paul Morcos, also voiced concern over what he described as yet another violation of the ceasefire reached in November 2024. In a post on X, the minister stressed that the targeting of journalists constitutes a clear war crime and a blatant violation of international law. “We declare our solidarity and condolences to the media family, and call on the international community to fully assume its responsibilities and take urgent action to put an end to these violations and ensure the protection of media professionals in Lebanon,” he added.

In a separate attack, an Israeli drone strike killed Egyptian citizen Abdul Nabi Ramadan Ameen Al Sayed and Lebanese civilian Samer Hteit when it hit their car in Kfar Rumman in southern Lebanon.

The killing comes as Lebanon’s foreign minister submitted a formal complaint to the United Nations over Israel’s ceasefire violations in the country. Israel and Hezbollah signed a ceasefire in November 2024, ending months of clashes that had escalated into a full-scale war in September 2024. Despite the agreement, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has documented more than 10,000 Israeli ceasefire violations, with over 300 people killed.

While Israel continues to strike Lebanon in breach of the ceasefire terms, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed, on January 8, that the Lebanese army had completed the first phase of a five-phase disarmament plan and now holds a monopoly on the use of force in the area south of the Litani River.

Hezbollah has not carried out any retaliatory attacks for nearly a year. Today, the group is also no longer the power it once was, having been severely weakened during Israel’s military campaign in 2024, particularly following the killing of its long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in September 2024.

Middle East Eye, Maghrebi.org