The Lebanese Prime Minister on Saturday accused Israel of pursuing a “scorched earth policy” against his country, after new Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire theoretically in force.
In a televised speech, Nawaf Salam judged that the “policy of scorched earth and collective punishment” carried out by the neighboring country “will not bring it security or stability”.
The day after new Israeli-Lebanese discussions in Washington, for the moment without impact on the ground, he nevertheless defended the continuation of negotiations with Israel, whose army continues to advance deep into Lebanon.
These negotiations constitute “the least expensive path” for Beirut, underlined the head of government.
Clashes between Israel and pro-Iranian Hezbollah are almost daily despite the truce of April 17, which has never been respected. On Saturday morning, the Israeli army called on the inhabitants of more than a dozen Lebanese villages to evacuate before strikes, which affected several localities in the south according to the Lebanese National Information Agency (ANI).
For its part, the Lebanese army announced that a “targeted” Israeli drone strike had hit and seriously injured two of its soldiers on board a vehicle, near the southern city of Nabatiyé.
Artillery fire also took place near the medieval Beaufort fortress, while the Minister of Culture had expressed concern the day before about the “serious danger” posed to heritage by Israeli attacks.
Hezbollah, for its part, claimed responsibility for rocket attacks towards northern Israel. The Israeli army said it had intercepted several projectiles – except one, which fell on its soil but without causing any injuries.
In a statement, the Lebanese President and Prime Minister, Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam, denounced “the reprehensible practices of Israel”, “the extension” of its attacks, particularly in the areas of Tire and Nabatiyé, as well as the “continuation of bombings and of the bulldozing of homes and historic sites.”
The Israeli army has intensified its air and land operations in Lebanon in recent days, where it says it is targeting Hezbollah, which it wants to see disarmed. The movement refuses and opposes any talks between the Lebanese government and Israel.
Une trêve, « passage obligé »
Military delegations from the two countries met in Washington on Friday to prepare for a new round of talks, scheduled for June 2 to 3 – the fourth since the war broke out in early March.
And this, in difficult negotiations between the United States and Iran, which demands to include the Lebanese front of the conflict in any agreement to end the war in the Middle East.
Since the start of hostilities, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed 3,371 people and displaced more than a million people, according to the authorities.
This week, Israel declared it considered much of southern Lebanon a “combat zone.” According to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli soldiers “crossed” on Friday the Litani, a river located around thirty kilometers from the border.
Hezbollah, for its part, claimed responsibility for rocket fire towards northern Israel, claiming to have attacked Israeli troops who were trying to advance in the region of the Beaufort Fortress.
The Shiite movement also claimed to have “forced the enemy to retreat” during clashes in Dibbine, a town whose outskirts Israeli forces had reached during the night, according to Ani.
Hezbollah also declared that it had targeted military infrastructure in Safed, in northern Israel, at dawn. Questioned by AFP, an Israeli military spokesperson denied this information, while confirming that “more than 20” projectiles (rockets and drones) had been launched during the day from Lebanon.
Friday’s meeting of Israeli-Lebanese military officials, described as “constructive” by the Pentagon, will serve as “a basis for the political component”, according to Pentagon number two, Elbridge Colby.
The Lebanese president told the head of American diplomacy Marco Rubio that a truce was “the obligatory step” for any progress in the negotiations.
