BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday dismissed Israeli claims questioning the government’s disarmament efforts, calling them “baseless” and “unsupported by any tangible evidence,” as Israeli airstrikes intensified across southern Lebanon.
The remarks came just hours after the Israeli military launched a wave of strikes deep inside Lebanese territory, targeting mountainous areas and valleys in the Jezzine district and Iqlim Al-Tuffah, north of the Litani River, in a significant escalation.
According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, the attacks struck the vicinity of Al-Jarmaq, Al-Mahmoudieh, and Nabaa et Tasse, and were described as the most extensive assault since the assassination of Haytham Ali Tabatabai, a senior Hezbollah military commander.
During the 12 months since the US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel came into effect, Israel has continued to carry out near-daily violations, including airstrikes, drone surveillance, and targeted assassinations of Hezbollah operatives across southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and extending to Beirut’s southern suburbs.
In a meeting with Khaled Khiari, the UN assistant secretary-general for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific, Aoun said that Lebanon welcomes international support aimed at stabilizing the south and halting Israel’s ongoing attacks on civilians and southern villages and towns.
