Army Commander General Joseph Aoun received in his office in Yarzeh the Italian Minister of Defense Guido Corsetto with an accompanying delegation.
Talks reportedly featured high on cooperation relations between the armies of the two countries.
Source: National news agency – Lebanon
Iran on Friday condemned the recent Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, urging for a ‘deterrent’ response from the international community to Israel’s ‘aggressive actions.’
Tensions have escalated between Israel and the Palestinians during the Jewish Passover and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, raising concerns of further escalation in the coming days.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said the attacks on Lebanon were a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, ‘as well as a gross violation of the principles of international law and human rights,’ according to state media.
‘We demand an effective and deterrent response from the international community to the aggressive actions of the Zionist regime,’ he said.
Israel conducted airstrikes early on Friday in Gaza and Lebanon in retaliation for rocket attacks launched from both territories. Israeli officials have blamed the Palestinian militant group Hamas for the rocket attacks from Lebanon towards northern Israeli areas.
Tehran is a major ally of both Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
The rocket attacks from Lebanon followed clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians inside Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque.
Source: National news agency – Lebanon
The Israeli shelling at dawn of areas near the Palestinian refugee camp of al-Rashidiyeh in south Lebanon led to the death of six sheep and several birds and damages to a livestock barn, the National News Agency said.
The bombardment also damaged an electricity transformer, a bridge and a number of homes and cars, NNA added.
A number of Syrian refugee families who work in agriculture in the Ras al-Ain area meanwhile fled to other areas to escape the shelling.
Israel said its bombardment was in retaliation to more than 34 rockets that had been fired on Thursday from the targeted area at northern Israel.
Source: National news agency – Lebanon
“UNIFIL has opened an investigation into the missile launches and airstrikes that took place yesterday and early this morning,” Candice Ardel, UNIFIL’s Deputy Director of Media Office, announced in a statement to the National News Agency.
“UNIFIL peacekeepers, with the support of the Lebanese Armed Forces, visit the launch and fall sites of the rockets, to gather evidence and prove the facts,” Ardel said.
“UNIFIL’s Head of Mission and Commander-in-Chief, Major General Aroldo Lazaro, continues his contacts with the two parties, through the UNIFIL’s communication and coordination mechanism, to help ease tensions along the Blue Line,” she added
Source: National news agency – Lebanon
“Lebanese Forces” party leader, Samir Geagea, met former PM Fouad Siniora for an hour and a quarter at the party’s headquarters in Maarab, in the presence of a member of the “Strong Republic” bloc, MP Melhem Riachy.
Source: National news agency – Lebanon
