Published 11.33
Israel is reported to have attacked southern Lebanon from the air, despite the agreement reached with the Lebanese government two days ago.
Lebanon’s president wants Donald Trump to put pressure on the Israelis.
A military aircraft has bombed areas on the outskirts of the towns of Deir Seryan and Taybeh in the south, Lebanon’s state news agency NNA writes.
It follows attacks on Saturday in which at least one person was reported to have been killed. According to the Israeli military, several armed Hezbollah members who were said to have been inside Israel’s self-proclaimed security zone were killed.
Disarmament first
Israel, the United States and Lebanon’s truncated government entered into a framework agreement on Friday aimed at achieving peace in Lebanon. According to the agreement, Israel’s occupation forces in southern Lebanon, where the population has been displaced and buildings demolished, must leave the country only when the Shia movement Hezbollah has been disarmed.
Hezbollah, Israel’s primary opponent in the war, has rejected the agreement outright. A parliamentarian from the movement’s political branch has said that it will not be implemented as the risk of “internal conflict” is high.
Hezbollah’s top leader Naim Qassem has described the settlement as a major humiliation and a serious mistake by the government. He accuses it of capitulating completely to Israel by allowing the neighboring country to continue its occupation of part of Lebanon. Trying to disarm Hezbollah under these conditions would be “extremely dangerous”, according to Qassem.
Want to see pressure
Goals to disarm influential Hezbollah and make way for Lebanon’s regular but relatively weak army have existed for decades, but have not been feasible on the ground.
In a first step in the latest settlement, Israel is supposed to withdraw forces from two small areas and hand over to the army, as in a first attempt.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Saturday night. Aoun said he expressed hopes that the United States would help prevent violations by “exerting pressure on Israel” to withdraw forces.
