(4 Jul 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beirut, Lebanon - 4 July 2024
1. Various of Hezbollah members in uniform carrying coffin of senior Hezbollah commander Mohammad Naameh Nasser who was killed in an Israeli drone strike
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali Al-Miqdad, Lebanese member of parliament with Hezbollah bloc:
"The Zionist enemy will realize that the treacherous act of assassinating our leaders will be met with a greater response. We will not remain silent about any aggression, whether on a civilian or military level. We are accustomed to our leader martyrs sacrificing their lives for the dignity and preservation of this nation."
3. Various of funeral
STORYLINE:
Lebanon's Hezbollah group held a funeral on Thursday for its senior commander Mohammad Naameh Nasser who was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon.
Nasser's coffin was draped in Hezbollah's yellow flag and was carried through a crowd of mourners in Beirut's southern suburbs.
Hezbollah said it launched over 200 rockets on Thursday at several military bases in Israel in retaliation for the strike that killed the commander.
The attack by the Iran-backed militant group was one of the largest in the monthslong conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border, where tensions have escalated in recent weeks.
The Israeli military said "numerous projectiles and suspicious aerial targets" had entered its territory from Lebanon, many of which it said were intercepted.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
After Hezbollah's attack Israel struck various towns in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported an Israeli drone strike of Houla killed at least one person.
Israeli jets also broke the sound barrier over the Lebanese capital and other areas in the country.
Nasser was of great importance to Hezbollah, which said he took part in battles in conflicts in Syria and Iraq from 2011 until 2016 and fought in the group's last war with Israel in 2006.
Two other senior Hezbollah commanders have also been killed.
The U.S. and France are continuing to scramble to prevent the skirmishes from spiraling into an all-out war, which they fear could spillover across the region.
Washington in its shuttle diplomatic efforts initially hoped for calm along the Lebanon-Israel border in a deal that is not linked to the war in Gaza.
However, since the U.S. has called for Hamas to agree to a cease-fire proposal presented by President Joe Biden, it has said that an end to the war in Gaza would lead to calm in Lebanon and northern Israel as well.
AP video shot by Fadi Tawil
===========================================================
Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: info@aparchive.com.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
