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Israeli forces set fire to homes in south Lebanon
The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) is reporting that Israeli soldiers torched a number of houses in the town of Aitaroun in Bint Jbeil, “in a continued violation” of a truce that went into effect at the end of November.
The NNA said Israel forces also bombed homes in the town of Aita al-Shaab as ground troops launched a “combing operation in the town”.
Israel has carried out near-daily attacks on Lebanon, despite agreeing to the ceasefire with Hezbollah. The truce deal stipulates that Israel must withdraw from south Lebanon in 60 days and says Hezbollah must move north of the Litani River.
But Israel now claims that Hezbollah’s extensive weapons in the south and their efforts to rebuild may lead them to “reconsider” the timeline for withdrawal.
Israeli defence minister: Conscription law a ‘historic turning point’
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz says a draft law to conscript ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army who had previously been exempt is not a “moral issue”.
“The new conscription law, upon its completion, will bring about a historic turning point and the recruitment of tens of thousands of additional ultra-Orthodox members for significant service in the IDF [Israeli army] for the first time,” Katz wrote on X.
“In contrast to the policy that was recently implemented, which failed and actually led to a decrease in the number of ultra-Orthodox members serving in the IDF.”
Last year, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued thousands of enlistment summons to the ultra-Orthodox community, but it was met with mass protests.
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