| Highlights from yesterday |
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Prominent Lebanese banker faces arrest over dinner with Netanyahu
Lebanon’s National News Agency reports that Public Prosecutor Judge Ahmad Rami al-Hajj has instructed security forces to investigate a photograph appearing to show Lebanese banker Antoun Sehnaoui dining with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, DC.
The investigation follows a formal complaint filed by a group of lawyers demanding Sehnaoui’s prosecution under Lebanese laws that strictly forbid contact with Israelis, an offence punishable by imprisonment.
Judge al-Hajj directed officials to determine if the image – posted on X by Axios reporter Barak Ravid – is genuine or digitally altered before taking legal action. The inquiries could lead to Sehnaoui’s arrest should he return to Lebanon.
According to Ravid, Sehnaoui and former US envoy Morgan Ortagus hosted the Monday dinner in memory of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, attended by Netanyahu, his wife Sara, and US officials. The legal action comes amid US-brokered talks between Lebanon and Israel, which have remained technically at war since 1948.
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Israeli demolitions shake villages in southern Lebanon overnight
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) is reporting that a series of powerful explosions have shaken several villages in southern Lebanon overnight, with the blasts heard as far as the coastal city of Tyre.
Israeli forces carried out controlled demolitions in the towns of al-Mansouri, Majdal Zoun, and Mazraat Buyut al-Siyad from midnight through to dawn today. The operations were accompanied by heavy machinegun fire towards the valleys of Wadi al-Hujeir and Wadi al-Salouqi, NNA reported.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or details on the extent of the damage, it added.
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Israeli army chief threatens to expand ‘scope of operations’ in southern Lebanon
Israel’s Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has said Israeli troops will not withdraw from occupied territory in southern Lebanon until the country’s security is assured.
He made the comments yesterday while visiting occupied territory in southern Lebanon, according to an Israeli military spokeswoman.
“In Lebanon, we have taken control of areas and continue to cleanse them of terrorist infrastructure,” he was quoted as saying. “And if necessary, we will expand the scope of our operations to include additional areas.”
He added: “We will not withdraw from the areas we have taken control of until long-term security is ensured.”
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Lebanese army chief pledges to deploy in south as Israeli violations persist
Lebanese Army Commander General Rudolph Haykal marked the army’s 81st anniversary on Thursday by pledging to complete deployment in southern Lebanon and deploy in all areas from which Israeli forces withdraw.
In an address to soldiers published in a statement by the Lebanese army, Haykal honoured the fallen, wounded and retired personnel and praised serving troops for their sacrifices.
“The army remains committed to fulfilling all its missions despite the significant difficulties stemming from limited resources, the magnitude of the tasks, and the delicate circumstances,” Haykal said. “The army is also completing its deployment in the south in accordance with existing agreements and in line with national principles and requirements.”
Haykal said the army was continuing efforts to ensure the safe return of residents to their villages and towns, and was prepared to deploy in all occupied areas from which Israeli forces withdraw. “However, the occupation persists in its ongoing attacks and violations to obstruct the army’s efforts,” he added.
The general called for stronger military capabilities and greater international support, saying assistance to the army was an investment in Lebanon’s stability and regional security.
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Lebanese parliament speaker says army defends unified nation, not Israel’s ‘pilot zones’
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said the army remains the “model” defending Lebanon as one unified nation, rather than the “pilot zones” whose borders are drawn by Israeli occupation, in a statement marking the military’s 81st anniversary on Thursday.
Berri said: “Eighty-one years on, the Lebanese army remains the model that tests and is not tested, examines and is not examined, in unity, identity, belonging, sacrifice and loyalty defending Lebanon as one unified, model nation that Lebanese aspire to, not the pilot zones whose borders are drawn by the Israeli occupier with fire, killing and destruction.”
Berri, a veteran politician and head of the Amal Movement, has long been a vocal supporter of the military as a unifying institution amid Lebanon’s deep sectarian divisions.
The speaker praised the army as a national institution representing all Lebanese and expressed hope for it to protect sovereignty, liberate land and people, and preserve stability and civil peace.
Berri’s remarks come amid a controversial US-mediated framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel that establishes so-called “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon. Under the deal, the Lebanese Armed Forces are to deploy into designated areas while Israeli forces gradually withdraw. The first three zones, launched on July 20, include the villages of Froun, Srifa, and Zawtar Al-Gharbiya.
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Israeli army bombs town in southern Lebanon
Israeli forces have bombed the southern Lebanese town of Taybeh in Marjayoun district, Lebanon’s National News Agency reports.
No casualties were reported.
Israel has continued its bombardment and occupation of southern Lebanon despite last month’s framework agreement to end hostilities.
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Lebanon’s Aoun says citizens ‘paid a heavy price’ in Israel war
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun says the Lebanese people “paid a heavy price” during Israel’s war on the country, with thousands killed, villages destroyed and families forced from their homes.
The Lebanese presidency said on X after meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara that Lebanon remained committed to recovering from the conflict. “What the war could not destroy is the will of the Lebanese. Today, we are more determined than ever to restore the sovereignty of our state, rebuild our homeland and build a secure and stable future for all Lebanese.”
“I am pleased to visit the Republic of Turkiye, at a juncture that reflects the deep-rooted relations binding our two countries, and a shared will to bolster cooperation in ways that serve the interests of our peoples and contribute to the stability of our region,” he added.
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Israel carries out demolitions near Lebanon’s historic Beaufort Castle
A statement from Israel’s army on X says it destroyed several “key features” in an alleged “underground tunnel network” underneath the ridge that hosts the historic castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Israel captured the castle in May, claiming it was of key strategic importance in its fight against Hezbollah.
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