Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has instructed the country’s armed forces to confront any future Israeli incursions, following an overnight raid by Israeli troops in the southern border town of Blida that left a municipal worker dead and reignited anger over repeated violations of Lebanese sovereignty.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the operation was part of an effort to “dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure” in the area. According to Israeli statements, troops—supported by light armoured vehicles and surveillance drones—entered Blida shortly after midnight and stormed the town hall.
Inside the building, a municipal employee, Ibrahim Salameh, was asleep when the soldiers arrived. Lebanese officials reported that Israeli forces fired several bursts of gunfire, fatally wounding Salameh and leaving the walls of the office riddled with bullet holes. Witnesses said mattresses in the room where he had been sleeping were soaked in blood.
Lebanese state media said the Israeli force advanced more than a kilometre into Lebanese territory and remained in the municipality’s centre for about two hours before withdrawing.
The IDF confirmed the raid, stating that its troops had encountered a “suspect” inside the building and opened fire after identifying what they perceived as an immediate threat. The Israeli military offered no evidence that the town hall had been used by Hezbollah and said the incident was under review. It remains unclear whether Salameh was deliberately targeted.
News of the killing triggered widespread outrage across Lebanon. President Aoun ordered the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to confront any future incursions into what he described as “liberated southern territory”, emphasising the need to defend both national borders and civilian safety.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced the raid as a “flagrant violation of Lebanese institutions and sovereignty”. He said Lebanon would intensify diplomatic efforts through the United Nations and ceasefire guarantors to halt ongoing Israeli operations and secure a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.
The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli aircraft also carried out air strikes on the nearby areas of Mahmoudiyeh and Jarmak on the same day. There was widespread public anger against the Israeli raids with people blocking roads with burning tyres and blaming the government for not protecting civilians.
The Israeli attack took place despite the truce agreement with Hezbollah last year, which called for the withdrawal of the IDF from Lebanon. Under the deal, Hezbollah was required to move its fighters north of the Litani River and dismantle its military infrastructure south of it, leaving only the LAF and the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL) authorised to operate in the area.
However, Israel has maintained positions at five sites within Lebanon, citing security concerns and Hezbollah’s continued presence in the south. Over recent months, Israel has intensified its military operations, conducting near-daily air strikes across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. Israeli officials insist the actions are aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding its arsenal and strengthening its defences.
Residents and journalists in the region have reported frequent low-flying Israeli drones, including the Hermes 450, as well as surveillance aircraft over southern Lebanon, the Bekaa, and Beirut’s southern suburbs. On the same night as the Blida raid, a second Israeli operation was reported in the nearby village of Adaisseh, where locals said troops destroyed a religious ceremonial hall.
Under the terms of the truce, Lebanon is expected to disarm Hezbollah, but the Lebanese army has so far been unable to do so. The United States, Lebanon’s primary military partner, has been pressing Beirut to accelerate the process.
During a recent meeting of ceasefire monitors, US Envoy Morgan Ortagus praised Lebanon’s stated intention to bring all weapons under state control by the end of the year, calling on the LAF to fully implement its plan. The Lebanese army now receives funding, training and equipment from the US in a process to strengthen it as a national army powerful enough to check Hezbollah’s influence.
Hezbollah has, meanwhile, welcomed President Aoun’s order to confront Israeli attacks. Observers, however, feel that the order is largely symbolic as the Lebanese army lacks the firepower to tackle the IDF. Yet, the president’s latest move could convey the idea that the state is siding with Hezbollah again, which provides the militia a much-needed political victory and further complicates Lebanon’s fragile position between multiple domestic actors and external powers.
In response, Israel is said to be considering intensifying combat operations, driven further by intelligence assessments that Hezbollah has begun rearming and reactivating its networks.