Lebanese president denounces Israeli attacks and destruction in south

Lebanese president denounces Israeli attacks and destruction in south Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has condemned what he described as Israel’s “repeated attacks”, including the killing of civilians and destruction of homes and property. Aoun said the attacks, which he said had killed “innocent civilians, including children and women”, were undermining efforts to prevent further escalation in southern Lebanon and across the region. Aoun said Lebanon supports renewing the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) and is working with French President Emmanuel Macron to facilitate the extension. “We also welcome the French and Italian initiative to form a European force to fill the void after Unifil’s withdrawal,” he added. Smoke rises from an explosion in Al-Mansouri, southern Lebanon, seen from al-Hanniyeh, 6 September 2026 (Kawnat Haju/AFP)