Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday condemned Israel’s latest strikes on his country, saying they undermine efforts to prevent escalation.
Aoun’s criticism came after Israel launched a series of strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday, saying it hit Hezbollah and Hamas targets.
The attacks began with strikes on four villages where Israel had issued evacuation warnings, though later bombing including a strike in the early hours of Tuesday came without prior notice.
In a statement, Aoun said that “Israel’s continued attacks aim to thwart all efforts made locally, regionally and internationally to stop the ongoing Israeli escalation, despite the response shown by Lebanon to these efforts at various levels”.
In spite of a year-old ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel has carried out frequent strikes on Lebanon, usually saying it is bombing Hezbollah sites and operatives, and occasionally Hamas targets.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military said its operations the day before struck infrastructure “belonging to the Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist organisations in several areas in Lebanon”.
According to the military, the targets included “several weapon storage facilities and military structures, both above and below ground”.
The strike early on Tuesday targeted Ghazieh, near the southern coastal city of Sidon, destroying a building and damaging its surroundings, causing a fire on site which firefighters deployed to combat, according to an AFP photographer.
The latest strikes come with the committee monitoring the ceasefire, which includes the United States, France, Lebanon, Israel and the United Nations, set to meet on Wednesday.
Lebanon’s cabinet will also convene later this week to discuss the Lebanese military’s progress in disarming Hezbollah, a plan launched under heavy US pressure and amid fears of expanded Israeli strikes.
The Lebanese army was expected to complete the disarmament south of the Litani River — about 30 kilometres from the border with Israel — by the end of 2025, before tackling the rest of the country.
In his statement, Aoun said the government’s plan to “extend its authority over the south of the Litani” was “implemented by the Lebanese army with professionalism, commitment and precision”.
Israel has previously questioned the Lebanese military’s effectiveness and has accused Hezbollah of rearming.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Sunday called the disarmament efforts far from sufficient.
lar/nad/dcp
© Agence France-Presse
