Israeli drone strike kills five, including three children, in southern Lebanon
Beirut (AP): An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon killed five people Sunday, including three children, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said four of the killed, the three children as well as their father, held US citizenship.
Two others were wounded, including the mother in the family.
Officials at the US Embassy in Beirut could not immediately be reached for comment.
Since a ceasefire agreement was reached in November to end Israel's monthslong war with the Hezbollah group, Israel has continued to strike southern and eastern Lebanon almost daily.
Under the Washington-brokered ceasefire, both the Hezbollah group and Israel were supposed to withdraw their forces from southern Lebanon and halt strikes against each other. Israeli forces have continue to occupy five Lebanese hilltop points by the border.
Lebanese officials have warned that the ongoing strikes risk the country's recent efforts to disarm the group and further worsen its shaky security situation. Hezbollah has maintained that it no longer has a military presence south of the Litani River, and has refused to speak of disarmament without Israel stopping its attacks and withdrawing from southern Lebanese territory.
President Joseph Aoun, who earlier landed in New York ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, condemned the strike and called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop. Aoun, alongside the Lebanese government under Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, endorsed an agreement last month that would gradually disarm Hezbollah.
“There is no peace above the blood of our children,” said Aoun in a statement from his office.
The monthslong war between Hezbollah and Israel killed some 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced residents across southern and eastern Lebanon.
Prime Minister Salam, who like Aoun, vowed upon his appointment earlier this year to disarm all non-state groups, said the strike was a “message of intimidation targeting our people returning to their villages in the south.”
“The states sponsoring the cessation of hostilities agreement must exert maximum pressure on Israel to immediately halt its attacks, withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories, and release prisoners,” said Salam in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Hezbollah officials say the ongoing strikes justify their refusal to give up their arms, and claim that the ceasefire agreement and monitoring mechanism with the United States, France, and United Nations peacekeeping forces is ineffective.
“They have proven once again that resorting to official protection under international auspices has not provided them with security and stability,” said Hezbollah parliamentarian Hassan Fadlallah. “All these attacks and killings perpetrated by the enemy will not push our people to abandon their land and rights, and they will only strengthen the people of the south's adherence to the option of resistance.”
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India moving towards becoming global economic powerhouse: Kovind
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Amritsar (PTI): Former president Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said that with digital transformation, economic reforms and a strong focus on the ease of doing business, India is moving towards becoming a global economic powerhouse.
He was speaking after inaugurating the 19th edition of the Punjab International Trade Expo (PITEX) in Amritsar.
The former president said that this 19th edition of PITEX is being organised at a time when India is recognised as one of the fastest-growing large economies in the world.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the event organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) the former president, while referring to Punjab, said the state is a living example of courage, sacrifice and enterprise.
"The spiritual light of Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) inspires peace and humanity across the world. The heritage of Punjab is deep and inspiring," Kovind said, according to a statement issued by the PITEX.
The former president congratulated the PHDCCI for hosting the 19th edition of PITEX and suggested that the chamber should expand PITEX outside Punjab.
He proposed that a similar event should also be held in New Delhi.
