Hezbollah condemned on Saturday the major Israeli enemy’s escalation in southern Lebanon, affirming the Israeli occupation army carried out brutal massacres against civilians and warning that continued attacks and violations of Lebanese sovereignty would be met with an appropriate response.
In a statement, Hezbollah said Lebanese residents woke at dawn to an aggressive escalation and a brutal massacre allegedly carried out by the criminal Zionist enemy against civilians in the south. It said Israeli strikes targeted a home on the outskirts of the southern town of Ansar and a building in Deir Al-Zahrani, killing 11 people, including women and children, and wounding 12 others.
“Those grave crimes add to Israel’s long record of “massacres, crimes, and the shedding of Lebanese blood, as well as the destruction of homes, the bulldozing of farmland, and the erasure of entire villages,” the statement read.
The group said the Israeli escalation, particularly the targeting of civilians and the expansion of the areas coming under attack, reflected the desire and intent of Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intensify the war to bolster his domestic political standing, advance his electoral interests, and appease the far right.
Hezbollah said responsibility for the Israeli enemy’s continued aggression and violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty rested with the Israeli government and the United States, which it accused of providing Israel with political and military backing and cover.
At the same time, the group called on the Lebanese authorities to explore every available means to halt the Israeli attacks rather than persist with the humiliating direct negotiations and offer “Israel” free concessions, despite the Israeli enemy’s repeated crimes and attacks, as well as its openly stated aggressive and expansionist intentions toward Lebanon.
Hezbollah Calls for a Reassessment of Lebanon’s Approach
Hezbollah asserted that the Lebanese authorities must now undertake a comprehensive reassessment of their policies in a manner that safeguards Lebanon’s sovereignty and rights, rather than continuing along a path that has demonstrated its inability to protect Lebanon and its people.
The group urged the authorities to adopt a patriotic, courageous, and responsible position and to stop running after negotiations that it said Washington was pushing Lebanon toward.
It also warned against relying on US guarantees and mediation, calling such confidence a failed bet and accusing Washington of being a partner in the Israeli enemy’s crimes and massacres against Lebanon.
Hezbollah pointed specifically to the US ambassador to Lebanon’s latest blatant and coercive statement calling for the surrender of the weapons of the resistance. The group argued that the ambassador should instead pressure Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory it occupies.
“The statement demonstrated that Washington’s priority was protecting Israel’s interests and security “at the expense of Lebanon’s sovereignty and its people.”
Warning to “Israel”
Hezbollah stressed that all Lebanese, regardless of their political or communal affiliations, must recognize the dangers posed to Lebanon’s unity, security, and independence by the authorities’ current approach.
“Israel must understand clearly that its attacks, violations, and attempts to impose a new reality on the ground cannot continue and will be met with an appropriate response,” Hezbollah said, framing such a response as necessary to defend Lebanon, its people, sovereignty, and national dignity.
Source: Al-Manar Website