BEIRUT — The Lebanese parliament extended its term by two years on Monday amid an ongoing conflict with Israel, pushing back elections that were meant to take place in May this year. The office of parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said 76 lawmakers of the 128-seat body had voted in favor of the extension. Hezbollah’s 13-member parliamentary bloc backed the extension. The vote came a week after Lebanon was dragged into the regional war by militant group Hezbollah’s launch of rockets and drones into Israel, which has responded with heavy bombardment across the country. Lebanon last held parliamentary elections in 2022 and had been considering an extension of the current body’s mandate before the latest round of fighting erupted between Hezbollah and Israel. Lawmakers have taken similar measures in the past. The parliament elected in 2009 voted to extend its own mandate until 2017, citing security concerns linked to the war that was then raging in neighboring Syria. Hezbollah said on Monday its fighters clashed with Israeli troops in eastern Lebanon during an Israeli airborne raid overnight, in what would be the second such operation in the area in recent days. The Israeli military kept up its airstrikes in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday, sending plumes of smoke across the city. It reiterated warnings to its residents to leave, and announced it would act against a Hezbollah financial institution, Al-Qard Al-Hassan. Nearly 400 people have been killed in Lebanon by Israeli strikes since March 2, Lebanon’s health ministry reported on Sunday, including at least 83 children and 42 women. Israel’s military announced on Sunday that two Israeli soldiers had been killed in southern Lebanon, the first casualties in the Israeli army since the war began. In its statement, Hezbollah said its fighters had observed 15 helicopters flying over eastern Lebanon just after midnight, dropping Israeli troops who were observed approaching Lebanese territory from an area on the Syrian side of the border.Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley region is one of the Shi’ite Muslim group’s political and security strongholds. The Israeli military carried out an airborne raid in the same area, near the village of Nabi Chit, overnight Friday-Saturday. Lebanon’s health ministry said 41 people were killed in Israeli attacks in the Nabi Chit area on Saturday. — AgenciesBEIRUT — The Lebanese parliament extended its term by two years on Monday amid an ongoing conflict with Israel, pushing back elections that were meant to take place in May this year. The office of parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said 76 lawmakers of the 128-seat body had voted in favor of the extension. Hezbollah’s 13-member parliamentary bloc backed the extension. The vote came a week after Lebanon was dragged into the regional war by militant group Hezbollah’s launch of rockets and drones into Israel, which has responded with heavy bombardment across the country. Lebanon last held parliamentary elections in 2022 and had been considering an extension of the current body’s mandate before the latest round of fighting erupted between Hezbollah and Israel. Lawmakers have taken similar measures in the past. The parliament elected in 2009 voted to extend its own mandate until 2017, citing security concerns linked to the war that was then raging in neighboring Syria. Hezbollah said on Monday its fighters clashed with Israeli troops in eastern Lebanon during an Israeli airborne raid overnight, in what would be the second such operation in the area in recent days. The Israeli military kept up its airstrikes in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday, sending plumes of smoke across the city. It reiterated warnings to its residents to leave, and announced it would act against a Hezbollah financial institution, Al-Qard Al-Hassan. Nearly 400 people have been killed in Lebanon by Israeli strikes since March 2, Lebanon’s health ministry reported on Sunday, including at least 83 children and 42 women. Israel’s military announced on Sunday that two Israeli soldiers had been killed in southern Lebanon, the first casualties in the Israeli army since the war began. In its statement, Hezbollah said its fighters had observed 15 helicopters flying over eastern Lebanon just after midnight, dropping Israeli troops who were observed approaching Lebanese territory from an area on the Syrian side of the border.Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley region is one of the Shi’ite Muslim group’s political and security strongholds. The Israeli military carried out an airborne raid in the same area, near the village of Nabi Chit, overnight Friday-Saturday. Lebanon’s health ministry said 41 people were killed in Israeli attacks in the Nabi Chit area on Saturday. — Agencies
