Israel’s deadly bombardment of Lebanon continues
The following were reported today but happened yesterday
- An Israeli drone strike struck a car on the road to Dar al-Mu’allimin (the Teachers’ Institute) in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, killing four civilians, including school principal Esperanza Ghandour.
- An Israeli drone raid hit Baraachit in the Bint Jbeil district amid intermittent artillery shelling and machinegun sweeping operations along the ridge lines.
- Israeli forces executed a localized ground advancement towards the cemetery in Haddatha, in the Bint Jbeil district, while also opening fire. Successive air strikes heavily targeted both Haddatha and nearby Beit Yahoun later in the evening.
- A new air strike hit Qantara, accompanied by heavy artillery shelling concentrated across Qantara, Deir Siryan, and Touline in southern Lebanon.
- Artillery shelling also targeted the outskirts and vicinities of the border towns of Qusayr, Qabrikha, and Hula.
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Lebanon’s Aoun to meet Trump at White House later this month
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says he is preparing to travel to the White House before the end of July to meet Trump in a visit aimed at advancing the framework agreement with Israel.
The trip follows a 17-minute phone call on Sunday between the two leaders that Aoun described as “good”.
In an interview with Lebanese daily An-Nahar, Aoun acknowledged that the framework agreement is “not ideal”, but that the Lebanese government’s acceptance of it reflects the facts on the ground and the current balance of power in the south, which favors Israel.
“This is a framework, not an agreement with Israel… No one should bet on the Lebanese army’s division, and I will not let my people die,” Aoun said, adding that the deal would not stop Lebanon from pursuing its rights and recovering occupied land.
He also said the phased security transition would begin with a pilot deployment in Zawtar in the Nabatieh district, testing a model in which the Lebanese army takes exclusive control of specific towns to facilitate incremental Israeli military withdrawals. The comment comes amid concern that Israel could strike the nearby Ali Al-Taher hill.
Aoun said Lebanese officials had asked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ensure the hill remains under Lebanese army control, and that Netanyahu had agreed to the proposal.
He also defended Lebanon’s decision to send a minister to the funeral of Iran’s late supreme leader, saying: “Our diplomatic relations with Iran continue and are not severed.”
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".. which favors Israel."
A ceasefire framework is a structured set of rules, procedures, and conditions negotiated by conflicting parties to halt hostilities. It serves as a vital precursor to long-term peace negotiations, providing a systematic platform to reduce immediate violence, separate forces, and create safe zones for humanitarian relief'.
However, if one looks at the wording used to draft the framework, paragraphs look clearly written in a language of ambiguity.
For instance, no time frame is mentioned, and the word "redeployment" is used instead "withdrawal."
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Israeli attacks keep more than 600,000 people from returning to southern Lebanon
Ongoing Israeli attacks have left more than 600,000 people unable to return to their homes in southern Lebanon.
A Lebanese government survey estimates that more than 90,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed, with reconstruction costs exceeding $1bn. Those who have managed to return describe living in constant fear, while the international community has made aid conditional on Hezbollah’s disarmament, a demand the group refuses to meet.
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