Israeli troops carried out an incursion into a south Lebanese town overnight, killing a municipal employee, state media report, amid an escalation of Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
The troops, accompanied by drones and light armoured vehicles, entered Blida and stormed the town hall, where the employee - named as Ibrahim Salameh - was sleeping, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.
The Israeli military said its troops were conducting an operation to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure, without providing evidence that the building was being used by the group.
Israel's operation drew a furious response in Lebanon, where a ceasefire ended a war between them last November.
Israel's military says troops encountered a suspect inside the building and opened fire when an immediate threat was identified; however, it remains unclear whether Salameh was the target of the operation.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun instructed the commander of the Lebanese army to confront any Israeli incursion into southern Lebanon.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced the killing of Salameh and the incursion as a flagrant violation of Lebanese institutions and sovereignty. He emphasized Lebanon's intention to urge the United Nations and ceasefire guarantors to ensure an end to the repeated violations and to secure a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
Protests were held on Thursday morning in Blida and surrounding towns, with residents blocking roads with burning tyres in response to what they considered a blatant aggression and the state's inability to protect civilians.
Over recent days, Israel intensified its strikes across Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah positions. A second Israeli operation was reported in the nearby village of Adaisseh, where locals stated troops destroyed a religious ceremonial hall.
Israeli warplanes also flew over southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, while drones were observed low above Beirut's southern suburbs.
During a meeting of ceasefire monitors, US envoy Morgan Ortagus welcomed Lebanon's commitment to integrate all weapons under state control by year's end and urged the Lebanese army to enforce its plan.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, whilst Hezbollah was to relocate its fighters north of the Litani River and disassemble its military infrastructure, a plan opposed by the group and its allies.
Currently, under the terms of the ceasefire, only the Lebanese army and the United Nations peacekeeping force, Unifil, are authorized to have armed personnel in the area south of the Litani River, but Israel continues to maintain its presence at strategic border sites.
