Israeli military carries out explosion in Lebanon's Haddatha
Beirut, August 5
The Israeli military carried out an explosion in the southern Lebanese town of Haddatha on Tuesday, as Israel and Lebanon began a new round of negotiations in Rome aimed at advancing a US-backed framework for de-escalation along the border.
According to Al Jazeera, the explosion came on the opening day of talks intended to move forward a June framework agreement under which Israeli forces would gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon as Hezbollah disarms.
The negotiations, taking place in Rome, are part of ongoing US-mediated efforts to stabilise the Israel-Lebanon border following months of hostilities.
The latest development follows Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon in recent days. On August 1, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it had dismantled several underground tunnels beneath the Beaufort Ridge during what it described as a limited operation inside the security zone.
According to the IDF, the tunnel network served as a central command centre for Hezbollah's Bader Unit and had been used to direct attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. The military alleged that the infrastructure had been constructed over two decades, was funded by Iran, and had been used to launch drones, explosive devices and anti-tank missiles toward northern Israel.
The IDF said the underground network posed a threat because it was located about six kilometres from Metula and the Galilee Panhandle. It added that Israeli forces had completed preparations to dismantle the tunnels while remaining on high alert for both defensive and offensive operations.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on August 1 strongly condemned Israel's military actions in southern Lebanon, calling them violations of the ceasefire, Lebanon's sovereignty and international law.
In a post on X, Salam said the ongoing explosions, shelling and destruction endangered civilians and damaged archaeological landmarks listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The timing of this operation is really questionable. You don't send a message of peace while simultaneously blowing up tunnels on the first day of negotiations. India has always believed in peaceful coexistence, and I hope the US mediators can push both sides to see sense. Violence only begets more violence.
From a Canadian perspective, it's exhausting to see this endless cycle in the Middle East. But looking at it objectively, those tunnels were a real threat to Israeli civilians. Hezbollah built a sophisticated command center over 20 years with Iranian money. What would any country do if a terrorist org was plotting attacks from across the border?
As someone who follows global conflicts closely, I can't help but worry about another full-scale war. India has always had cordial relations with both Israel and Lebanon, and we know all too well how border tensions can spiral. The Beirut government is right to condemn this - you can't negotiate while bombs are going off. 😔
Interesting framing in this article. Israel sees this as eliminating an imminent threat, Lebanon sees it as a violation of sovereignty. The truth is probably somewhere in between. The US framework seems like the most realistic path forward, but it'll take real compromise from both Hezbollah and Israel. These ceasefire agreements keep falling apart.
Watching this from India, it's disheartening. The archaeological sites are thousands of years old - they've survived so much history, and now they're at risk because of modern conflicts. I wish world leaders would remember that these places belong to all of humanity. Diplomacy needs to work faster before more damage is done.
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