Al Jazeera asks: Is Lebanon on the brink of renewed conflict with Israel?
Al Jazeera added in this report: Tensions on the southern borders of Lebanon are rapidly increasing, and in the past hours, Israeli warplanes have carried out a wave of widespread airstrikes on various areas of southern Lebanon, from the western part to the central and eastern parts. These attacks have raised concerns about the direction of the situation towards a wider conflict, especially as Lebanon is engaged in growing internal disputes over Hezbollah’s weapons.
Hezbollah’s statement
However, the important development was Hezbollah’s unprecedented statement yesterday entitled “An open letter to the three heads of state (Prime Minister, President, and Speaker of Parliament) and the Lebanese people.”
According to the report, Hezbollah in this statement categorically rejected any negotiations with “Israel” and emphasized “the legitimate right to resist occupation and aggression” and warned that any talk about disarming the resistance in these circumstances “serves the interests of the Israeli enemy and its plans in the region.”
According to Al Jazeera, Hezbollah also sought to allay domestic concerns by emphasizing its commitment to internal peace and stability in the country, but in the same statement it warned that any internal or external attempt to limit the resistance’s weapons without a national agreement would be met with a “practical response.” This stance reflects Hezbollah’s insistence on a simultaneous military and political option.
Lebanese government position
The Lebanese government also held a special meeting on Thursday to review the army’s report on illegal weapons. The meeting came amid increasing international pressure on Beirut to begin internal dialogue on its national defense strategy and Hezbollah’s role.
After the meeting, Lebanese Information Minister Paul Marqes said that President Joseph Aoun had stressed that “the only way to stop Israeli attacks is through negotiations,” an approach he said had broad domestic and international support.
He added: “The Israeli enemy is trying to prevent the army from fully deploying within the framework of the ceasefire agreement by continuing to threaten and maintain a state of war.”
According to this report, Aoun, in a separate statement, called Israel’s attacks on southern Lebanon a “full-scale crime” as well as a “political crime,” and said: “Since last year’s ceasefire, Israel has spared no effort to show its opposition to any negotiated solution.”
In this regard, according to official Lebanese statistics, Israel has committed more than 4,500 violations of Security Council Resolution 1701 since last November. These attacks have left hundreds dead and injured, and Israel still occupies five heights in Lebanese territory that it occupied in the recent war.
In such circumstances, Lebanon is at a critical stage; A stage in which military tension is intertwined with internal political conflicts over “national sovereignty” and the “role of the resistance” in the state structure, while eyes are once again turned to the south, a front that is open to various scenarios.