Israeli forces met ‘fierce resistance’ during late-night ground offensive
Ali Rizk, a security and political affairs analyst based in Beirut, says Israeli troops attempted to “overwhelm” Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon late last night but were repelled and forced to withdraw.
“What the Israeli side might be doing is a propaganda war when they speak about successfully entering Lebanese territory. So this might be part of an Israeli psychological war, which wouldn’t be the first time they resort to such tactics,” Rizk told Al Jazeera.
“We’ll have to see how the ground invasion unfolds. But – according to a source with ties to Hezbollah – the Israelis did meet fierce resistance in the late hours of last night. It does appear this is not going to be an easy battle for Israel, even if Hezbollah has lost its leader and senior military commanders. That still leaves Hezbollah to be a formidable foe to inflict heavy costs on the Israelis in their ground invasion.”
UK’s Lammy says Israel must avoid getting ‘bogged down’ in Lebanon
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said that nobody wants a return to the past with Israel fighting in southern Lebanon over a long period, adding the price of a regional Middle Eastern war would be “huge”.
“None of us want to return to the years in which Israel found itself bogged down in a quagmire in southern Lebanon,” Lammy told broadcasters. “None of us want to see a regional war. The price would be huge for the Middle East and it would have a significant effect on the global economy.”
Hezbollah slams attack on Lebanese television channel
The group’s media relations office condemned the attack on the headquarters of as-Sirat TV channel in Beirut’s southern suburbs as “barbaric and destructive”. “We express our full solidarity with the institution, its management and its employees,” a statement on Telegram said.
Israel continues “its barbarism and aggression against all media institutions, starting with targeting journalists in Gaza and Lebanon”, it added. Hezbollah said Israel has acted “without any deterrent and without any regard for international laws and conventions”.
News reports earlier said the attack levelled the building, claiming it was used by Hezbollah for “combat means”. No casualties were reported. Hezbollah denies storing weapons inside civilian buildings.
Lebanon parliament speaker calls for UN air bridge for aid
Lebanon’s powerful parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, called for a United Nations air bridge to expedite aid deliveries for almost one million people displaced by Israeli attacks.
Berri called on the UN to establish an “air bridge to ensure the delivery of relief supplies”, a statement issued by his office said. It also urged the international and Lebanese Red Cross to “carry out their duties in delivering relief and medical supplies to south Lebanon”.
