The Lebanese President issued a firm directive to Army Commander, demanding the military “confront any Israeli incursion into the liberated southern territories” to defend national land and citizen safety.
Joseph Aoun’s order to Army Commander Rudolf Hekal comes in the immediate aftermath of a blatant and deadly Israeli violation of Lebanese sovereignty: the murder of a municipality employee in the town of Bleyda during an Israeli ground incursion accompanied by military jeeps.
The victim, identified as Ibrahim Salameh, was shot dead while asleep inside the municipal building.
Presidential Condemnation
President Aoun condemned the assassination as part of Israel’s “aggressive practices against civilians.” He pointedly noted that the attack occurred shortly after a meeting of the Mechanism for Monitoring the Cessation of Hostilities, signaling clear contempt for diplomatic processes.
He further demanded that the ceasefire monitoring mechanism move beyond merely documenting facts on the ground. It must actively pressure Israel to put a definitive end to its violations of Lebanese sovereignty.
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Simultaneous Airstrikes and Ground Assault
In parallel with this lethal ground operation, the Israeli Occupation launched a series of airstrikes targeting the mountains surrounding the villages of Al-Jarmak and Al-Mahmoudiya, accompanied by intense aerial reconnaissance from warplanes and drones.
Reports indicate over 10 Israeli missiles struck the area between Al-Jarmak and Al-Aishiya, underscoring the severity of the aerial escalation alongside the ground breach.
Political Consensus on Confrontation
The President’s decisive call to action has been lauded by major political forces, including Hezbollah, which strongly condemned the Bleyda “crime” and “appreciated the position of the President of the Republic in asking the Lebanese Army to confront Israeli incursions.”
Echoing the severity of the crisis, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri asserted that the incident “exceeds the Israeli violation of Lebanese national sovereignty and United Nations resolutions,” emphasizing that the act is an “aggression against Lebanon that cannot be curbed by mere condemnation.”
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Berri stressed that the current moment demands national unity in support of the President’s stance.
Army Rejects Israeli Pretexts
The Lebanese Army Command, for its part, affirmed that the actions in Bleyda constitute a “criminal act and a flagrant violation of sovereignty” and the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.
The Army explicitly rejected Israel’s “null and baseless pretexts” as fabrications intended only to justify ongoing violations, calling on the monitoring mechanism to stop Israel’s “protracted violations.”
The unified political response, pivoting around President Aoun’s directive to actively repel Israeli ground assaults, underscores the critical and unified national stand against the escalating aggression and persistent violation of Lebanese territory.
(PC, Al Mayadeen)
Aoun should invite Hezbollah into the army – as Aoun meant – before Berri bleated about “disarm Hezbollah!!!” Is Berri afraid, now, of having his head blow open while he sleeps?? Aoun’s intention is correct but the army is woefully weak (thanks to the US/”Israel” – and Berri!) but Hezbollah could change the calculus!