Hezbollah Dismisses Israeli Claims of Ground Offensive in Lebanon
Hezbollah resistance movement denied on Tuesday that Israeli soldiers entered the Lebanese soil, hours after the Israeli military claimed it began limited ground incursions.
Mohammad Afif, a media relations officer for Hezbollah, told Al-Jazeera any claims of cross-border Israeli raids are "false". "No direct ground clashes have occurred between the resistance fighters and the occupation forces yet," Afif said. He added that Hezbollah fighters were ready for the ground assault and vowed to "inflict the greatest losses on enemy forces that attempt to enter Lebanese territory".A source from the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) also stated that the Israeli military has staged some “sporadic raids” across the border but its troops have not remained on Lebanese soil.The assessment that Israel has not yet launched a full-scale invasion was supported by two other high-level Lebanese security sources.Lebanon’s Prime Minister has warned that his country faces “one of the most dangerous phases of its history”, urging the UN to provide aid for one million people displaced by Israeli attacks.“Around a million of our people have been displaced because of the devastating war that Israel is waging on Lebanon,” the National News Agency quoted Najib Mikati as saying.“We urgently call for more aid to reinforce our ongoing efforts to provide basic support to displaced civilians,” he added in a meeting with UN representatives.
Meanwhile, the UNIFIL announced that the Israeli Army had notified it of its intention to undertake what the Israelis have termed “limited ground incursions”.It noted in a statement that despite the developments in Lebanon, peacekeepers remained in position.The UNIFIL reminded Israel that “any crossing into Lebanon is in violation of Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a violation of UN security council resolution 1701".“The price of continuing the current course of action is too high,” the statement said.“Civilians must be protected, civilian infrastructure must not be targeted and International law must be respected,” it added.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been building up its presence along the border for weeks, redeploying some units that had previously fought in the Gaza Strip to area.Meantime, Lebanon’s Army dismissed reports it had withdrawn from Southern border positions by several kilometers.Such reports were inaccurate, the Army Command said.“(Lebanese) military units deployed in the South are repositioning certain forward observation points within their designated areas of responsibility,” it continued, adding that the army continues to coordinate with the UNIFIL in the country.
Last week, the regime escalated its attacks on Hezbollah, targeting the group’s leadership in Lebanon.On Friday, Hezbollah chief Seyed Hassan Nasrallah was martyred in an Israeli air attack on the Southern suburbs of Beirut. Tel Aviv has also assassinated several other top commanders, but the resistance movement has continued to fire rockets and missiles at Israeli targets.On Monday, in the group’s first public broadcast since Nasrallah’s assassination, Hezbollah Deputy Chief Naim Qassem stressed it was prepared for any potential Israeli ground attack and a long war.
The escalation against Lebanon, which began following the launch of the military onslaught on the tiny enclave, has also witnessed the regime carrying out countless deadly attacks against the Lebanese territory.The death toll from Israeli strikes against Lebanon since last October has also reached 1,800, including women and children, with some 9,000 injured.Heavy Israeli bombardment have forced many families to flee the densely populated neighbourhoods in Beirut during the past days.As the Zionist regime continues its bombing campaign, Hezbollah pledges it will continue to confront Israel in support of the besieged enclave and in defence of Lebanon.
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