BEIRUT (AP) – Lebanese forces condemned the Israeli airstrikes near Beirut on Friday, cautioning that such actions have undermined the authority of the Lebanese military and could eventually disrupt the cooperation with the oversight committee for the Ceasefire that concluded the Israeli-Hezbollah War.
The statement from the army followed Israeli attacks on multiple buildings, which Israel claimed housed underground facilities used by Hezbollah for drone manufacturing in the southern suburbs of Beirut. This assault, which was preceded by Israeli warnings to vacate several structures, occurred just before the Islamic holiday Eid al-Adha.
The Lebanese army indicated that it commenced collaboration with a committee overseeing the ceasefire after Israeli forces issued alerts and deployed patrols to the impacted areas in search of those responsible. Israel responded by stating that it rejected the proposal.
The US-led committee, which has been monitoring the ceasefire that concluded the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah War in November, includes representatives from Lebanon, Israel, France, the United States, and the United Nations peacekeeping forces, known as Unifil.
“Israel’s breaches and refusal to cooperate with the Commission have diminished the Commission’s role and weakened the military,” the Lebanese army stated. They further warned that such Israeli actions might compel the Army to suspend its cooperation with the Commission.
Since the end of the Israeli-Hezbollah War, Israel has conducted almost daily airstrikes in various regions of Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah members. The southern suburbs of Beirut have been struck multiple times during this period.
The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel ignited on October 8, 2023, when Lebanese extremist groups began launching rockets across the border in support of their ally Hamas in Gaza. Israel retaliated with airstrikes and artillery, leading both sides into a prolonged low-level conflict that escalated into full-scale warfare in September 2024.
The conflict resulted in over 4,000 fatalities in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians. The Lebanese government reported in April that Israeli strikes had claimed another 190 lives and injured 485 individuals since the ceasefire agreement.
There is increasing pressure on Hezbollah, both locally and internationally, to relinquish its remaining arsenal; however, group officials assert they will not comply until Israel halts airstrikes and withdraws from five locations it occupies along the southern Lebanon border.
Hezbollah claims it has terminated its military presence along the Israeli border south of the Litani River, in accordance with the stipulations of the ceasefire agreement.
Source: apnews.com