Lebanon's Aoun: Israeli strikes aim to foil efforts ahead of ceasefire talks
Shafaq News– Beirut
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday denounced recent Israeli strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, warning that the attacks “raise many questions” as efforts continue to halt hostilities.
In a statement issued by the presidency, Aoun said the strikes came ahead of a meeting of the International Monitoring and Implementation Mechanism (IMIM), a US-French-sponsored body that brings together Lebanon, Israel, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The Mechanism oversees the November 2024 ceasefire and is tasked with halting violations, facilitating Israel’s withdrawal to the southern border, securing the release of Lebanese detainees, and supporting the full deployment of the Lebanese army in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Aoun described Israel’s continued strikes as an attempt to “foil all efforts” pursued locally, regionally, and internationally to contain the escalation, despite what he called Lebanon’s cooperation at all levels. He pointed to measures adopted by the government to extend state authority south of the Litani River, stressing that the Lebanese army implemented those steps with “professionalism, commitment, and precision.”
The president further urged the international community to intervene effectively to curb Israel’s attacks and to ensure the IMIM can carry out its mandate with the agreement of the concerned parties and sustained international backing.
رئيس الجمهورية العماد جوزاف عون دان الاعتداءات الاسرائيلية التي طاولت في الساعات الماضية بلدات بقاعية وجنوبية عدة وصولا إلى مدينة صيدا ، معتبراً انها تطرح علامات استفهام كثيرة لجهة وقوعها عشية اجتماع لجنة " الميكانيزم " غداً التي يفترض ان تعمل على وقف الأعمال العدائية والبحث في…
— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) January 6, 2026
On Monday, a drone strike hit a vehicle in the southern town of Briqueh, injuring two people. Other strikes damaged buildings in Anan and Kfarhatta in southern Lebanon, as well as Ain Al-Tineh and Al-Manara in eastern Lebanon, with no casualties reported.
After midnight, an airstrike struck a three-story building in the industrial zone south of Saida. The Ministry of Public Health has not issued an official casualty toll, while the National News Agency reported one injury and extensive damage to nearby buildings and shops.
The Israeli military claimed the strikes targeted infrastructure linked to Hezbollah and Hamas.
Despite the US-brokered ceasefire, Israeli forces have continued regular strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahiye. Israel also maintains troops at five positions south of the Litani River, areas from which Lebanon has demanded a full withdrawal. UNIFIL has documented more than 10,000 Israeli ceasefire violations, while Lebanon’s Health Ministry reports at least 340 people killed and more than 970 wounded, including women and children, since the agreement.
Read more: Middle East 2026: Ceasefires hold, power questions persist across a volatile region
