Israeli raid in southern Lebanon kills municipal worker, sparking protests

Israeli troopers raided a municipal authorities constructing in a border village in southern Lebanon early on Thursday (October 30, 2025) and killed an worker, Lebanese state media mentioned.

The incident within the city of Blida sparked condemnation by Lebanese officers and a protest by residents.

The Israeli military mentioned in an announcement that the troopers had entered to “destroy terrorist infrastructure” belonging to the militant group Hezbollah and “recognized a suspect” contained in the constructing who they tried to apprehend.

It mentioned they’d fired to “neutralize a menace” and that the main points of the incident had been beneath investigation.

Since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire nominally halted the most recent Israel-Hezbollah conflict final November, Israel has continued to launch near-daily strikes on Lebanon, saying it’s focusing on Hezbollah militants, amenities and weapons. Its forces have additionally continued to occupy a number of strategic factors on the Lebanese aspect of the border.

However, raids by floor forces just like the one in Blida are uncommon.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun mentioned in an announcement that the municipal worker, Ibrahim Salameh, had been killed “whereas he was performing his skilled duties.”

The state-run National News Agency reported that the Israeli forces had entered the village round 1:30 a.m. and stormed the municipality constructing, the place Salameh was sleeping.

Salameh “normally slept within the municipality,” mentioned Tahsin Kaour, a neighborhood official. “He heard a noise exterior immediately and went to the window to see what was occurring, they usually shot him.”

Lebanese officers say Israel’s strikes typically hurt civilians and destroy infrastructure unrelated to Hezbollah and have known as for Israeli forces to withdraw.

Residents in Blida expressed anger towards the Lebanese military and the United Nations peacekeeping pressure often known as UNIFIL, who they mentioned had been failing to guard civilians. Residents confronted UNIFIL peacekeepers who arrived within the village Thursday morning and requested them to depart.

“We need the federal government to guard us, to guard the folks, for the Lebanese military to guard us,” Kaour mentioned.

Aoun’s assertion mentioned he had requested the Lebanese military to “confront any Israeli incursion” into southern Lebanon “in protection of Lebanese lands and the security of residents,” though it was not clear what kind that confrontation would take.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam mentioned in a separate assertion that Lebanese authorities are “following as much as stress the United Nations and the nations sponsoring the cessation of hostilities settlement to make sure a halt to the repeated violations and the implementation of a whole Israeli withdrawal from our lands.”

The most up-to-date Israel-Hezbollah battle started the day after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on Israel triggered the conflict in Gaza.

Hezbollah started firing rockets into Israel in help of Hamas and the Palestinians. Israel responded with airstrikes and shelling. The low-level battle escalated into full-scale conflict in September 2024.