Lebanon12 October, 20262 min read
Blast Near Lebanon Border Kills Israeli, Injures 20; Lavrov Says Israel Violates International Law
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One Israeli killed and about 20 injured by blast near Lebanon border. Lavrov: Israel violates international law in Lebanon, escalating tensions with Moscow's stance.
5 outlets told this the same way.
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Blast on Israel border
A blast near the Lebanon border in Israel’s Ramim Ridge area in the Naftali Mountains Forest killed one Israeli and injured 20 others, after the explosion was attributed to an old missile previously fired by Hezbollah. The Annahar briefing said Lebanese authorities braced for possible Israeli retaliatory operations in Lebanon during a heated electoral season after the incident on the northern border with Israel.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow considers the Israeli army’s practices a violation of international law and a source of escalating tensions in Lebanon. Rescue helicopters and 14 ambulances and military teams were dispatched to the site, while the army investigated the circumstances of the incident.
Israeli response and casualties
The Times of Israel said a teenager was killed and 24 school students and teachers were wounded when a piece of unexploded ordnance detonated around 3:30 p.m. on Monday during a hike by students and teachers from the ORT Ma’alot school. The Times of Israel reported that the Israel Defense Forces believed the ordnance was a cluster submunition from a Hezbollah rocket, and it said the resulting blast left one teenager, a 14-year-old boy, dead.
The Times of Israel quoted Magen David Adom ambulance service saying the blast left one teenager dead and injured 24 teens and adults to varying degrees. Eli Bar–On, the director-general of Magen David Adom, told reporters: "It appears that a group of hikers was injured by an unexploded ordnance that was in the area."
Diplomatic fallout and risk
Lavrov told reporters after talks with Lebanese Foreign and Emigrants Minister Youssef Rajji that Russia reaffirmed its position supporting the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Lebanese Republic and said Israeli military operations "starkly violate the provisions of international law". The incident sparked fears of Israel carrying out retaliatory operations in Lebanon amid an electoral season, prompting Lebanese authorities to brace for this possibility.
Lavrov pointed to UNIFIL, saying UNIFIL troops played a crucial role in ensuring that escalation does not significantly destabilize the area, while adding that the forces cannot prevent escalation simply because they do not have the necessary material capabilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled his remaining plans for the day, including a scheduled visit to the West Bank, and instead joined Education Minister Yoav Kisch in visiting some of the injured students in the hospital.