Spokesman: Drone downed by German warship off Lebanon was armed
A drone intercepted by a German warship off the coast of Lebanon on Thursday was armed and exploded, a military spokesman said in Berlin. The spokesman for Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, said "an explosive charge was set off" as the drone was downed in the "immediate vicinity" of the Ludwigshafen am Rhein corvette. German lawmakers have been informed of the incident in parliament. No injuries or damage were reported on board the warship, which is participating in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The incident took place around 30 kilometres north-west of the Lebanese port of Naqoura, where UNIFIL is headquartered.
France, U.S. push at UN for stronger Lebanese army
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Strengthening Lebanon's army will be crucial to implementing a key United Nations Security Council resolution that aims to keep peace on the country's border with Israel, the United States and France said on Thursday.
Israeli military says it discovered underground Hezbollah compound
Israeli ground troops discovered an underground Hezbollah compound in southern Lebanon, the Israeli armed forces claimed on Monday. The subterranean facility is said to have served as a command centre for the Lebanese militia's elite Radwan force, and weapons, ammunition and motorcycles were stored there. The army released a video showing bedrooms, a kitchen and sanitary facilities in the complex. The Israeli army said the underground complex was designed so that Radwan troops could arrive, equip themselves and then enter Israeli territory on foot or on motorbikes. According to the military, the site is located under a civilian area in southern Lebanon. The Israeli claims could not be independently verified. When the underground site was discovered, the troops encountered a Radwan fighter who had barricaded himself there, according to the army report. The Israeli forces killed him.
US expresses concern to Israel about strikes against Lebanese army
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Israeli counterpart on Wednesday that Washington had concerns about strikes against the Lebanese armed forces while urging Israel to take steps to ensure the safety of the Lebanese army and the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, the Pentagon said.
$1 billion raised for Lebanon at Paris conference – but ceasefire remains elusive
Around $1 billion (£772 million) has been raised at a conference in Paris to ease the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon and support its army, with France's foreign minister urging Israel to heed the message to cease fire and focus on diplomacy.Some 70 government delegations and 15 international organisations met in Paris to help Lebanon, but a low-level US presence and its looming election dimmed prospects for a swift halt to fighting."The message [for Israel] is simple: Cease fire!" France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told a news conference, reiterating that a Franco-American proposal for a temporary truce was still...