Lebanese parliament extends term for two years due to war in west Asia
The Lebanese parliament has extended its term for two years on Monday due to the US-Israel war with Iran, and Israel steps up its attacks on Lebanon.
The country's state news agency said 76 legislators voted in favour, 41 voted against, and four abstained. Hezbollah's 13-member bloc in parliament voted in favour of the extension.
On Monday, the Israeli military said it was targeting Hezbollah's financial arm, al-Qard Al-Hasan, while its ground forces in Lebanon's south launched "focused raids" against what it called the group's infrastructure.
The ongoing war with Israel that began last week has displaced over half a million people and made it difficult to hold a vote in large parts of the country. The parliamentary elections were scheduled for May.
Meanwhile, the human rights group Human Rights Watch said in a report Monday that the Israeli military "unlawfully" hit a village in southern Lebanon with shells containing white phosphorus, a controversial incendiary munition. Through geolocating and verifying seven images, Human Rights Watch said Israel fired white phosphorus using artillery at residential areas in the southern Lebanese village of Yohmor. It happened hours after the Israeli military warned the residents of the village and dozens of others in southern Lebanon to evacuate. Human Rights Watch said it couldn't independently identify if any residents were still in the area or if anyone was harmed.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the past, it has been maintained that it uses white phosphorus as a smoke screen and not to target civilians.
