Beirut/Tel Aviv, Oct 30, (dpa/GNA) – A Lebanese municipal worker was killed in an Israeli attack in the southern Lebanese town of Blida overnight, state media reported on Thursday.
The National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli soldiers entered a municipal building, and killed an employee who had been spending the night inside it.
After the Israeli unit withdrew, the Lebanese army reportedly then entered the building and took the body to a nearby hospital.
In response, the Blida municipal authority called for a protest rally on Thursday, in front of the administrative building.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a statement that “the attack on the municipality of Blida, and the martyrdom of an employee there, falls within the framework of Israeli aggression against civilians.”
During a meeting with the Rodolphe Haykal, commander of Lebanese forces, Aoun requested that the army confront Israeli incursions into the south, to defend Lebanese territory and the safety of citizens.
The Israeli military confirmed the attack.
It said that overnight, during an operation to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure in the Blida area, the troops identified a suspect inside the building.
The troops were threatened and opened fire, the military said, adding that the incident is under review. It also said that the civilian building had recently been exploited for terrorist activity.
The Lebanese army rejected the Israeli claims, saying in statement: “The false claims and pretexts made by the Israeli enemy are baseless and unrelated to reality; they merely serve to justify its continuous violations against our country and our citizens.”
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been in effect for nearly a year, but both sides accuse each other of violations.
Israel accuses the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement of reorganizing in southern Lebanon, counter to the agreement. According to the UN, more than 100 civilians have been killed since the ceasefire came into effect.
GNA