Israel violates ceasefire agreement and threatens Lebanon

SOUTH LEBANON – For the seventh day, Israel continues its violations of the ceasefire agreement in several Lebanese regions. Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has revealed that his government has “intensified diplomatic contacts to emphasize the priority of stabilizing the situation for the return of the displaced to their regions and expanding the Lebanese army’s deployment in the south.”

On the ground, the intensity of the Israeli air attacks has decreased, however, the expansion of the ground incursion toward deeper areas that the enemy had not reached before was noticeable.

Among the dozens of recorded ceasefire violations is a drone that targeted a house on the outskirts of the town of Beit Lif in southern Lebanon, wounding a citizen. The civilian death toll, including a woman and her child, from a raid on a house in the town of Haris has reached 6. In addition, three others have been injured.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Health announced the martyrdom of 3 citizens in the town of Taloussa. In Shebaa, shepherd Jamal Saab was martyred after being targeted by a drone in the al-Marjeh area on the outskirts of the town while grazing his livestock.  An Israeli drone has also targeted a Lebanese army bulldozer while it was operating in the Hosh al-Sayyed Ali area in Hermel, wounding one soldier.

An informed source told Reuters that “contacts focused on Paris to expedite the dispatch of its delegate to the supervisory committee to begin its work, which may embarrass the Israeli enemy.”

The source added that the committee responsible for monitoring the ceasefire agreement will hold its first meeting on Thursday after the French representative to the committee, General Guillaume Pontchin, arrives in Beirut on Thursday.  General Pontchin will be accompanied by French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu.

However, the location of the meeting has not yet been decided due to Lebanon’s reservations about the entry of the Israeli representative to the committee into the UNIFIL headquarters inside the Lebanese territories.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has informed his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar of “the necessity for all parties to abide by the agreement.” In turn, US envoy Amos Hochstein has stated that “the continuation of the ceasefire requires restraint from all parties.”

During a visit to the northern border, Israeli War Minister Yisrael Katz called on the Lebanese government to “authorize the Lebanese army to carry out its role; remove Hezbollah from the Litani; and dismantle its entire infrastructure.”

Katz threatened: “If the ceasefire collapses, there will be no exception for the Lebanese state [institutions]. We will implement the agreement with maximum impact and zero tolerance. If we have so far differentiated between Lebanon and Hezbollah, this will not remain the case.”

This warning followed Hezbollah’s “initial warning defensive response” on Monday, targeting the Israeli Ruwaysat al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kfar Shuba. Hezbollah’s firm message confirmed that a breach is met with a breach.

Hezbollah’s warning has prompted US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to ask Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Don Dermer to “issue a public statement that Israel respects the ceasefire and will not withdraw from it.”

Channel 13 reported that Israeli officials “assured the US government of its commitment to the ceasefire.” Nevertheless, Netanyahu said, “We are in a state of ceasefire, not the end of the war,” noting that “we are implementing the ceasefire in Lebanon with an iron fist.”

Netanyahu’s statement has been interpreted as an insistence on violations to establish the principle of “freedom of movement” by targeting Lebanon. It also confirms his miserable failure to achieve any strategic goals. Netanyahu can do nothing but display murderous “capabilities” before the Israelis to claim that he has the upper hand.