UN envoy to Syria slams Israel’s ‘unacceptable’ Syria escalation
Geir Pedersen has strongly condemned Israel’s “military escalations, including air strikes” on its northern neighbour.
Syrian state media said Israeli strikes hit the Tartus area on Monday, after a war monitor reported a blast near the city’s port and the Israeli army said it struck a “military site” further north – in addition to many other attacks on Syria in the past weeks.
Pedersen said he was “deeply concerned by continued violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement”.
Such actions, he warned in a statement, “are unacceptable and risk further destabilising an already fragile situation, heightening regional tensions, and undermining efforts toward de-escalation and a sustainable political transition.”
Israeli army strikes car in southern Lebanon
An Israeli air strike targeted a car in southern Lebanon, about 10km (6.2 miles) from Israel’s border, according to Lebanon’s state media and Israel’s Army Radio.
A photo shared shows an overturned vehicle, completely destroyed, burned and engulfed in flame.
Israel claims assassination of Hezbollah leader
On X, the army says that it targeted and killed Hashem Khader, a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force.
It said that the attack took place by air in the Qana area of southern Lebanon, and that Khader was responsible for bringing weapons into Lebanon via maritime routes.
Israel’s public broadcaster said that Khader is the most senior Hezbollah official to be assassinated since the ceasefire between the group and Israel went into effect.
For Hezbollah’s part, no comment has been made. The group typically releases death notices when one of its personnel is killed in the field, usually without specifying where or when they were killed.
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