President of the Republic Joseph Aoun condemned “attempts to once again drag Lebanon into the cycle of violence.”
He said, “What happened today in the south, and what has been ongoing since February 18th, constitutes a persistent attack on Lebanon and undermines the rescue plan that all Lebanese have agreed upon.” He called on “all relevant forces in the south, especially the monitoring committee established under the November 2024 agreement, and the army to follow what is happening with the utmost seriousness to avoid any repercussions, and to control any violation or negligence that could threaten the country in these delicate circumstances.”
President Aoun also asked the army commander to “take the necessary field measures to ensure the safety of citizens and to investigate the circumstances of what occurred.”
House Speaker Nabih Berri called on the Lebanese Army, the judicial and security authorities, as well as the ceasefire monitoring committee, to quickly uncover the circumstances of what happened this morning in the south.
He stressed that “the first and last side to benefit from dragging Lebanon and the region into a major explosion is Israel at its security and military levels, which have violated Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire provisions with more than 1,500 breaches so far, while Lebanon and its resistance have fully adhered to all the provisions of this agreement.”
Berri renewed his call to all Lebanese, especially political forces, to purify political discourse and rally around the state and its constitutional, judicial, military and security institutions.
He also underlined the need to be aware of the dangers posed by creating pretexts for the enemy by inciting strife that opens doors for the enemy to infiltrate into the country to strike at Lebanon and its stability and undermine it as a model that represents the antithesis of Israeli racism.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned of the dire consequences of renewed military activity on Lebanon’s southern border, saying it “could drag the country into a new, devastating war.”
Salam contacted Defense Minister Michel Mansi, stressing the need to take all necessary security and military measures to reaffirm that only the state holds the authority over war and peace.
He also urged the United Nations to intensify international pressure on Israel to fully withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory, calling its presence a violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire arrangements approved by the previous government last October, to which Lebanon is committed.
The Israeli enemy launched on Saturday a series of heavy air strikes on several areas across southern Lebanon, leaving casualties including martyrs, in a new aggression on the Arab country despite the ceasefire deal which took effect in late November 2024.
Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli occupation army claimed that several rockets were fired from southern Lebanon, targeting the Israeli settlement of Metula.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
