Lebanon’s PM, Nawaf Salam, cautions that renewed Israeli attacks could lead to a wider conflict.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has cautioned that Israeli airstrikes could potentially plunge the nation into a “new war,” following recent deadly attacks on southern towns.
According to a statement released on his official website on Saturday, the Prime Minister “expressed concerns about renewed military actions on the southern border, citing the risk of drawing the country into a new war, which would inflict suffering on Lebanon and its people.” Salam also emphasized the importance of ensuring that “the Lebanese government alone has the authority to decide on matters of war and peace.”
He also urged the UN to exert pressure on Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory, warning that continued hostilities jeopardize the existing truce.
On Saturday, Israeli warplanes targeted Tyre, Zibqin, and Qlaileh. The Israeli military stated that the strikes were “in response to rocket fire directed at Israel” from an area approximately 6km north of the border. West Jerusalem accused Hezbollah of launching the rockets and claimed to have targeted the group’s rocket launch sites.
In a separate statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he and Defense Minister Israel Katz had instructed the military “to respond forcefully against numerous terror targets in Lebanon.” Netanyahu further stated that the Lebanese government bears responsibility for “all activities occurring within its borders.”
Hezbollah has denied any involvement, dismissing the accusations as a pretext for further aggression.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported one fatality in Tyre and four injuries in Qlaileh. Earlier attacks on Touline resulted in five deaths, including two children, and eleven injuries.
The hostilities began when Hezbollah launched an attack on Israeli positions in support of Gaza, following West Jerusalem’s military response to Hamas’ October 7 attack, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages.
The cross-border clashes subsequently escalated into a full-scale Israeli offensive that resulted in the deaths of high-ranking Hezbollah members, the destruction of weapons caches, and significant civilian casualties.
A ceasefire has been in place since November, brokered by a US-led agreement requiring both sides to cease military operations along the border.
Andrea Tenenti, the spokesperson for the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, described the situation as “very concerning” and called for “maximum restraint.” He mentioned that intensive negotiations are ongoing “to avert any escalation of the conflict and tension – a scenario that nobody desires after 16 months of conflict in this region.”
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