Lebanese President Orders Army to Confront Any Israeli Incursion in the South

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday instructed Army Commander General Rudolph Haykal to take all necessary measures to confront any Israeli incursion into Lebanese territory, following the Blida incident that resulted in the killing of a municipal employee.

A statement from the Lebanese Presidency said that President Aoun was briefed by the army commander on details of the Israeli operation carried out early Thursday in the town of Blida, noting that “this attack constitutes a new violation of Lebanese sovereignty and is part of a series of aggressive practices that breach the ceasefire agreement.”

Aoun stressed the need for the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (Mechanism) to play an active role in deterring such violations, calling on the international community to pressure Israel to respect the November agreement and withdraw from Lebanese territories where its forces remain present.

The killing of municipal employee Ibrahim Salameh inside the Blida municipal building sparked outrage and condemnation across Lebanon. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced the Israeli incursion, describing it as a “flagrant assault on the institutions and sovereignty of the Lebanese state.”

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, Salameh “was martyred by Israeli gunfire during a two-hour incursion into the town early Thursday,” while the Israeli army stated that it had targeted “Hezbollah infrastructure,” without mentioning the killing of the municipal worker.

These developments come amid intensive diplomatic efforts in Beirut to contain the escalating tensions along the southern border, as Israeli airstrikes continue to hit various areas in Lebanon despite the ceasefire agreement signed last November.