Tensions rise between Israel and Lebanon: Beirut orders the army to 'confront' the Israeli armed incursion against alleged Hezbollah targets

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday ordered the army to confront incursions by Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, after a force entered the border town of Blida early this morning and killed a municipal worker inside the town hall.

"Aoun instructed the Army commander, General Rodolphe Haykal, to ensure that the Lebanese Army confronts any Israeli incursion into the liberated southern territories, in defense of Lebanese territory and the security of its citizens," the Presidency said in a statement.

The Israeli army confirmed the raid by its troops on the village of Blida, where they fatally shot a "suspect" inside a building that they claimed had been used by the Shiite militia Hezbollah.

"Upon identifying an immediate threat, fire was opened to neutralize it, and a hit was confirmed. Details of the incident are under investigation," a military statement said today regarding the operation.

According to the military text, the building - identified as the Blida Town Hall by the Lebanese state agency - had recently been used for Hezbollah activities "under the guise of civilian infrastructure".

The soldiers, supported by several military vehicles, entered the area and remained there for more than two hours, according to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA).

At that time, they entered the City Hall and killed a municipal worker identified as Ibrahim Salama, while "neighbors reported hearing screams and calls for help coming from inside the building," according to the state media.

Additionally, a series of Israeli bombings hit the southern areas of Mahmoudiya and Al Jarmaq this morning, where at least two rounds of attacks were recorded in a span of less than twenty minutes, according to the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA).

For its part, the Israeli army stated in a press release that its fighter jets targeted infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah, including the entrance to a tunnel and a launch site.

"The presence of infrastructure in the area constitutes a violation of the understanding between Israel and Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces will continue to operate to eliminate any threat against the State of Israel," the statement reads.

This brought the death toll at the hands of Israeli troops to 15 in the past week, coinciding with an intensification of their attacks against southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as drone flights in sensitive areas such as the capital.

In this regard, the Lebanese head of state criticized the fact that the attack took place just hours after southern Lebanon hosted a meeting of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, which he once again urged to pressure Israel to comply with the stipulations of the pact.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced the killing of a worker while he was carrying out his duties as an attack "against state institutions" and pledged to continue pressuring the ceasefire guarantor countries to take action.

Along these lines, the Lebanese Army also condemned the action, considering it a "criminal act, a flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a breach of the cessation of hostilities," and has therefore called for the intervention of the monitoring mechanism to put an end to this type of attack.

Israel continues to bomb Lebanon almost daily despite the ceasefire last November and still maintains its troops in five points in southern Lebanon, although local sources have reported the establishment of up to three new positions.

Also since the cessation of hostilities came into effect, Israeli troops have carried out several raids on border villages, sometimes detonating buildings or structures.

The operation came amid an intensification of bombing against suspected targets of the Shiite group Hezbollah in both southern and eastern Lebanon, and just hours after a meeting of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism.