Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, says Israeli strikes and demolitions in southern Lebanon breach international law. His statement came after Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, visited the area on Wednesday.
Salam issued the statement on Wednesday, Avisen Danmark reports, citing Ritzau and AFP. He said Israeli attacks and the systematic destruction of homes, infrastructure, public buildings and religious sites violate international law.
The prime minister added that it makes no sense to describe entire villages and towns as military facilities. According to the same report, he said such labels are being used as an excuse to destroy them.
The remarks followed a visit by Katz to southern Lebanon, where Israel is in conflict with the militant group Hezbollah. Katz said Israel will keep soldiers in a security zone there, and that the Israeli military will destroy underground infrastructure and all houses in the area.
Also on Wednesday, the Lebanese army reported Israeli demolitions in the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiya. A municipal building was blown up, and a school, a health clinic, a kindergarten and several homes were hit, according to Avisen Danmark.
Conflict background
The current escalation began after Israel and the United States attacked Iran on February 28. Hezbollah, which backs Iran, then began striking Israel from southern Lebanon, and the two sides exchanged attacks for months while Israeli forces entered Lebanon in a ground offensive.
Lebanese authorities say more than 4,300 people have been killed since the conflict flared up. In June, Israel and Lebanon reached a framework agreement with the United States as mediator, intended to pave the way for peace.
Under that agreement, Israel is to withdraw from positions in southern Lebanon, and Lebanon’s military is to provide security in those areas. Delegations from the two countries are due to meet in Rome in September for the eighth round of negotiations.
Earlier phases of the Israel-Hezbollah war were marked by heavy losses in the group’s leadership. Jyllands-Posten reported in 2024 that Israel launched a ground offensive into Lebanon after a campaign of assassinations and airstrikes that removed most of Hezbollah’s top leaders.
DR reported the same year that an Israeli strike targeted Hezbollah’s headquarters in southern Beirut. Per DR, Katz described that operation as the most serious attack on Beirut since 2006.
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Avisen Danmark notes that the framework agreement has dampened the fighting, but reports of Israeli attacks continue to come from Lebanon. The demolitions in Zawtar al-Sharqiya were reported by the Lebanese army on the same day as Katz’s visit.
