Hezbollah - urges Lebanese govt.
to assume responsibilities
and halt Israeli crimes
July 31st, 7:22pm
(PressTV)
Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement has slammed the
Lebanese government’s inaction on Israel’s ongoing crimes
in the country, urging it to assume its responsibilities and
halt the regime’s destruction of Southern villages.
In a statement on Friday, Hezbollah pointed out that Israel
continues to commit crimes in Southern Lebanon,
destroying villages, burning homes, bulldozing
roads and fields, blowing up schools and
hospitals, and terrorizing safe civilians,
in “a desperate attempt” to prevent
the residents from returning to
their villages.
Hezbollah blamed the “silent, absent” Beirut government, for the
ongoing crimes, saying its signing of the framework agreement
allowed the Israeli regime ------------ to continue its occupation
and practices.
The framework agreement, signed on June 26, calls for the
withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from southern
Lebanon alongside the deployment of the
Lebanese army.
Since its signing, however ----- Israel has continued its military
aggression across southern Lebanon, carrying out airstrikes,
demolitions and the burning of homes in border towns.
Lebanese and Israeli officials are expected to meet indirectly
in Rome on August 4 to discuss the implementation of the
framework deal’s security arrangements.
Referring to the Lebanese authority’s failure to set a halt to the
destruction “a fundamental condition for Lebanon in all its
meetings and contacts”, Hezbollah said, “We call upon
this authority not to continue to turn its back on its
people, and to listen to the cries and pains of the
people of the South”.
Hezbollah stressed that if the government is unable to carry out its
duties, it should at least not deprive the residents of the south of
“their legitimate right to defend themselves and their land.”
“We demand - that the Lebanese authority assume its national and
constitutional responsibilities, and act immediately at all political
and diplomatic levels --------- to stop the crimes of destruction
committed by the enemy.”
Hezbollah also urged the international community to compel
Israel to stop its attacks and withdraw from all occupied
Lebanese territories.
The statement came after the Israeli military conducted new
attacks near Shaqif Fortress (Beaufort Castle) in southern
Lebanon, causing huge explosions in adjacent areas
on Thursday.
Lebanese media reported Israeli bombings on the villages
of Yohmor al-Shaqif, Haddatha, and Kfar Tebni.
According to official Lebanese figures, Israeli attacks have
killed at least 4,333 people, injured more than 12,236
others and displaced over a million, since March 2.
Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon,
including territories it has held for years as well as
others it seized during the 2023-24 onslaught.
_______________________________________
Massive rally in Sana'a backs 'siege for siege'
policy, slams US-Saudi aggression on Iraq
July 31st, 7pm
(PressTV)
Braving heavy rains, large crowds gathered in Yemen’s capital of
Sana’a to express firm support for the country's “siege for siege
and escalation for escalation” policy ---- and strongly condemn
the latest deadly joint US-Saudi strikes on Iraq.
Participants on Friday voiced unwavering backing for the Ansarullah
movement’s leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, and for the Yemeni Armed
Forces. They pledged continued support for military measures until
the Saudi-led blockade on Yemen is completely lifted and the
country’s legitimate rights and resources are restored.
Throughout the demonstration, crowds chanted slogans denouncing
Saudi Arabia and the US --- while reaffirming their commitment to
ongoing military operations and resistance ---- against foreign
aggression. Many carried the flags of Yemen, Palestine, Iraq,
Lebanon, and Iran, chanting in support of the Palestinian
cause and expressing solidarity with the regional Axis
of Resistance.
Organizers reiterated their support - for the unity of regional
resistance fronts and called for broader action against the
expansionist policies of the US and Israel across West
Asia. They also renewed their solidarity with the
Palestinian factions, marking the anniversary
of the martyrdom of former Hamas political
leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The rally fully endorsed the recently announced maritime blockade
targeting Saudi-linked shipping, describing it -- as a legitimate and
necessary response to the continued blockade of Yemen.
Prominent speakers warned that any further escalation by Saudi
Arabia would be met with additional military measures - under
the movement’s declared “siege for siege” policy.
In a statement read during the rally, participants reaffirmed support
for military operations and called for continued public mobilization.
The statement declared that the movement is fully prepared for
further escalation --- if Saudi Arabia and its allies maintain the
blockade on Yemen.
It also strongly condemned the most recent “US-Saudi aggression”
against Iraq, expressed solidarity with the Iraqi people, and
extended support to Palestine, Lebanon, and Iran.
Washington and Riyadh have falsely portrayed the bombardment
as retaliation for drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, claiming the
drones originated from Iraqi territory, a claim swiftly and
firmly rejected by Baghdad and by the Iraqi resistance
groups. Baghdad has stated --- that no evidence
whatsoever has been presented to support
these baseless allegations.
The US-Saudi strikes against bases of the Popular Mobilization Units
(headquarters in several Iraqi cities killed at least 20 members of
the anti-terror force ...while leaving more than 30 others injured.
The rally concluded with a statement affirming the Yemeni
people’s firm commitment to their military strategy,
including the continuation of maritime operations,
and their determination to meet any future
escalation ---- with further escalation.
Organizers called on supporters across the
region ------ to stand behind this campaign.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior member of the Ansarullah
political bureau, declared that Yemen will not cease
military operations against Saudi Arabia ---- until
Riyadh completely lifts its long-standing siege.
Recent escalation has seen Yemeni forces successfully strike
critical Saudi oil facilities and shoot down hostile drones -
that violated Yemen’s airspace.
__________________________________
Hezbollah warns Saudi Arabia of
falling into US-Israeli quagmire
July 31st, 4:46pm
(PressTV)
Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement has condemned
the “brutal” US-Saudi attack on Iraq, warning Riyadh of
falling into the US-Israeli quagmire that is intended
to -- destabilize and divide the region.
The statement came as Saudi Arabia and the US bombarded
positions of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), which is
the umbrella resistance group in Iraq, and is also known
as Al-Hashd al-Shaabi, deep inside Iraq, killing at least
20 people and wounding dozens more on Wednesday.
Washington and Riyadh claimed that the attacks were carried out
in response to assaults on Saudi Arabia allegedly originating
from Iraqi territory, without providing any evidence.
In a statement on Friday, Hezbollah slammed the attack: as “a
blatant and flagrant violation of international law and of Iraq's
sovereignty and independence”, warning of the strike’s
“dangerous repercussions”.
“This blatant and dangerous aggression against an official Iraqi
body, with the participation of an Arab state, opens the door to
extremely dangerous repercussions for the entire region, and
serves only the interests of the US-Israeli project aimed at
destabilizing the region, fragmenting the Ummah, and
plunging it into a spiral of tensions, disputes, and
fighting,” the movement said.
The statement stressed that based on “good-neighbourliness, and
brotherly and historical relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq
and its people”, Riyadh should have resorted to dialogue with
the Baghdad government to address any tension or crisis.
Hezbollah said the kingdom should not have been “drawn into the
policies of the US and Israeli enemy .....and bogged down in the
quagmire of their projects, aimed at undermining the
region’s
stability ------ and fragmenting its unity.”
Iraq rejects US-Saudi claims over
drone attacks on Saudi Arabia
The PMU reported that its sites in the provinces of Baghdad,
Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala
were attacked early on Wednesday.
The anti-terror resistance force characterized the assaults as
a "hazardous escalation," a "breach of Iraq's sovereignty,"
and an assault on the nation's official security agencies.
Hashd al-Sha’abi resistance fighters, have played a major role in the
liberation of Daesh-held areas to the south, northeast, and north of
the Iraqi capital Baghdad, ever since the terrorists launched an
offensive in the country in June 2014.
Back in November 2016, the Iraqi parliament approved a law giving
full legal status to the PMU fighters. It recognized the PMU as part
of the national armed forces, placed the forces under the
command of the prime minister, and granted them the
right to receive salaries and pensions like the
regular army and police forces.
The PMU and allied groups in Iraq have also contributed to a regional
resistance campaign against US and Israeli aggressions....... that
intensified -- since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in
2023 and later expanded to attacks on other countries of the
region, including Iran and Lebanon.
________________________________________
Iranian Su-24 pilots performed mission
against US base with ‘exceptional
courage’: Top commander
July 31st, 11:38am
(PressTV)
The deputy coordinator of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
(IRIAF) has provided new details about the daring retaliatory
March 2 operation against a major US military base in the
region, saying pilots of Su-24 fighters carried out the
mission with “exceptional courage
and determination”.
Brigadier General Masoud Jafari, made the remarks during Friday
prayers in the city of Shiraz, two days after the body of Brigadier
General Majid Kazemi, one of the four heroic pilots who
participated in the operation against the US-operated
al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, returned home.
He said that from an operational standpoint, the mission was
regarded as one of the most challenging due to the
sophistication of the air defense systems
protecting the US base.
He added that for the entire duration of the flight, the bombers
maintained an altitude below 30 metres, since any deviation
would have significantly increased the risk of detection,
Keeping a fighter jet concealed over water is also extremely
difficult, because enemy radar systems are capable of
detecting them from very long distances, he noted.
“Fully aware of these challenges, the four courageous pilots from
Martyr Doran Air Base accepted the mission, relying on their
exceptional skills, extensive experience in various military
exercises, and their roles as instructor pilots. With
exceptional courage and determination, they
carried out the operation --- struck the
designated base - and successfully
completed the mission assigned
by the Air Force,” Jafari said.
“Despite the successful completion of the mission, the threat
remained during the return phase due to the deployment of
a very extensive air defense network. Ultimately, enemy
military patrol aircraft managed to target the aircraft
involved in the mission.”
The commander added that apart from the return of the remains
of Martyr Kazemi, Qatar has provided no definitive information
regarding the fate of the three other Iranian pilots who
participated in the mission.
“Despite the technological gap between Iran’s equipment and that of
the adversary, the Iranian armed forces—including the Army and the
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)— rely on God and, without
hesitation, use all of their capabilities to confront the enemy.
Whenever an operation or flight is required, they will carry
out their mission, and its outcome—whether martyrdom
or victory—is considered an honour and a triumph for
the Iranian nation,” he asserted.
The body of Martyr Kazemi is set to be laid
to rest in Shiraz, later on Friday.
The United States and the Israeli regime waged their first criminal
military assault against Iran, which lasted 12 days, in June 2025.
Their second aggression began on February 28, 2026, and
came to a temporary halt in early April after 40 days.
In both wars, Iran's brave resistance and successful retaliatory
operations ------ forced the enemies to accept a ceasefire.
This month, however, the US conducted waves of deadly air raids on
Iran in violation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the Islamic Republic, signed on June 17, to end
the war.
In response, Iranian armed forces launched devastating attacks
against strategic US targets across West Asia, dealing heavy
blows to the terrorist US military.
_____________________________________________
IRGC: Violating oil tankers --- struck in
Strait of Hormuz, others turned back
July 31st, 11:37am
(PressTV)
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has said that two
"violating" oil tankers were struck and forced to stop in the
Strait of Hormuz --- after attempting to pass through an
unauthorized route under US military escort.
In a statement on Friday, the IRGC added that four other tankers
quickly reversed course. It explained that the two tankers
ignored repeated warnings and attempted to transit
through an "unsafe and illegal route."
"In the early hours of today, two violating oil tankers, believing they
could pass through our undeclared route under the aerial escort of
the child-killing US army, ignored our warnings and proceeded
along an unsafe and illegal route. They were struck --- and
brought to a halt," the statement said.
"Four other violating oil tankers immediately changed course
and returned to their previous location," it added.
Referring to a statement issued by the terrorist CENTCOM) claiming
that vessels continued to transit the strait with the support of US
military forces, the IRGC said it had warned shipping companies
and insurers the previous night not to rely on "false" US claims.
"The IRGC Navy once again warns that the illegal interference and
orders issued by the child-killing US army to vessels in the region
will not go unanswered," the statement added.
The latest incident comes a day after the IRGC declared - that the
Strait of Hormuz would remain closed as long as US threats and
interference in the region continue.
Also in a statement issued on Thursday, the IRGC said two oil
tankers had attempted to use an "unsafe southern route"
after being directed ....by US military aircraft.
According to the statement, one of the tankers caught
fire, forcing both vessels --------- to reverse course.
"The Strait of Hormuz is our territory, and the brave men of the IRGC
Navy firmly control it. No outsider who has come from thousands
of kilometres away will be allowed to interfere," the IRGC said.
It also warned that countries assisting the United States - would
face consequences if they continued supporting its aggression.
Washington has violated the Islamabad Memorandum of
Understanding...... which recognizes Iran's sovereignty
over the Strait of Hormuz and grants it responsibility
for regulating maritime traffic through the
strategic waterway.
The US has attempted to undermine that arrangement by
creating an unauthorized maritime corridor near Omani
waters, prompting Tehran to reimpose restrictions on
vessels linked to aggressor states.
Iran says all navigation through the Strait must
be conducted ---- under Iranian arrangements.
_____________________________________________
Ismail Haniyeh's enduring vision.........
of resistance and road to liberation,
2 years after his martyrdom
July 31st, 10:50am
by Burhan Abidi
(PressTV)
On October 7, 2023, the world witnessed a seismic shift in the
Palestinian struggle for the liberation of occupied territories
from decades of illegal Israeli occupation and apartheid.
Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was not an ordinary military operation.
It was, in the words of Ismail Haniyeh, "the beginning of the
disappearance of the occupation of our (Palestinian) land."
Haniyeh, the former leader of the Palestinian resistance
movement's political office, who played a key role in
the October 7 operation, was assassinated in
Tehran on July 31, 2024.
In the ten months that followed the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,
before his assassination, Haniyeh articulated a vision of
resistance, sacrifice, and ultimate victory that
transcended his own life. His words, spoken
through resistance and defiance --- offer a
window into the just Palestinian cause.
When the resistance fighters of Hamas broke through the walls
of Gaza's open-air prison on October 7, Haniyeh understood
immediately ---- that history had turned a corner.
"We are on the verge of a great victory and a clear conquest on
the Gaza front," he said on that first day. "The battle has now
moved into the heart of the Zionist entity."
It marked the momentary but significant end ------ of decades of
occupation, siege, and humiliation of Palestinians. "Enough is
enough," Haniyeh declared at the time. "The cycle of
intifadas and revolutions in the battle to liberate
our land ......and our prisoners languishing in
occupation prisons, must be completed."
For Haniyeh, the operation was fundamentally about the freedom
and dignity of Palestinians. The resistance had warned
repeatedly - that it would not remain silent in the face
of provocations at al-Quds and the al-Aqsa Mosque.
When the world kept silent, including the Arab countries, the
resistance spoke ---- through decisive action on the ground.
From the earliest days of the historic and unprecedented
operation, Haniyeh was clear in identifying the regimes
arrayed against Palestine
"What Israel is doing, is with the support of the US and Western
countries based on the issue of double standards and lies," he
declared on October 14. "The US administration...... is giving
everything it can to Israel."
As the US-backed Israeli genocidal war against Gaza unfolded,
Haniyeh pointed to the evidence mounting.... before the
world's eyes.
"The United States is the main axis of the Israeli war on Gaza,"
Haniyeh stated on November 24. The world watched as US
weapons rained down on Gaza's neighbourhoods,
hospitals, and schools.
"All the civilians killed in Gaza—thousands, tens of thousands
of martyrs—were killed with US weapons, with US rockets,
under US political protection."
On July 31, 2024, Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the
Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, was assassinated in
Tehran by an Israeli attack.... just hours after attending the
inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The multiple US vetoes of ceasefire resolutions at the UN Security
Council revealed the truth behind Washington's unflinching and
unapologetic support for the genocidal war.
"What does the US veto of the ceasefire resolution at the UNSC
mean?" Haniyeh remarked at the time. "It means that the US
is giving full protection and an umbrella to the continuation
of massacres and murders in Gaza."
The UN General Assembly vote - where 120 countries called for a
ceasefire represented, in his view, a "political victory" achieved
through resistance on the battlefield and showed the US
dominance over the international order had
irreversibly diminished.
On October 31, weeks after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, which was
followed by an all-out genocidal assault, he noted that "the
amount of explosives used against the residents and
residential areas of Gaza - exceeds the volume of
the atomic bomb dropped by the United States
on Hiroshima."
The Israeli regime, he asserted, was committing "barbaric
massacres against unarmed civilians." This villainy, he
warned, would not save them from defeat.
"The massacres being committed by the Zionist regime are
a clear manifestation of the quagmire that the occupying
regime and its ground forces are bogged down in."
He catalogued the crimes, including hospitals bombed, schools and
universities destroyed, bakeries and pharmacies targeted.
"For over five months, nothing entered Gaza," he stated in April
2024. "Hunger was used as a weapon to break the people's
will and to pressure them to migrate from north to south."
He spoke of mass graves discovered daily across Gaza, of children
dying from starvation, of a people subjected to ethnic cleansing.
Yet through all of this, Haniyeh maintained.... that Israel was
failing and the resistance was winning.
"The declared goals of the war on Gaza -- are to eliminate the Hamas
movement, have their captives back and carry out the displacement
plan," he said on January 9, 2024. "I tell you that the enemy, despite
the destruction and massacres, has failed to achieve any of the
goals of the war."
Israel, he maintained at the time, had not eliminated Hamas. It had
also failed to retrieve its captives through force. It had failed to
force Palestinians to leave Gaza. What it had done was
expose its bloodthirsty nature to the entire world.
Perhaps the central theme of Haniyeh's statements before and
after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was the unwavering resilience
of the resistance in the face of genocide and the brutal
campaign of extermination.
"The resistance front is fighting an honourable battle in defense of
Palestinians and their sanctities," he declared on November 17,
2023. "These resistance fighters will eventually emerge
triumphant in the Gaza war."
The residence location of Ismail Haniyeh was targeted in Tehran.
He was clear about the nature of the war and the decades of
occupation and apartheid.
"If the Zionist enemy desires a long battle, our capacity is
much higher than its, and our resistance fighters will
act decisively in this regard."
The resistance, he insisted, was engaged in a strategic war
and would be "the sole party emerging victorious."
The history of Palestinian resistance, for Haniyeh, demonstrated
an unbreakable spirit. Following the assassination of many
senior leaders of the movement, it did not break but
only became stronger and more determined.
"A movement that offers its leaders and founders as martyrs for
the dignity of our people and nation will never be defeated," he
declared after the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri. "These
attacks only strengthen the resolve, resilience, and
unwavering determination of the resistance."
He categorically rejected any suggestion that Hamas could be
eliminated by the US-Israeli war machine. "The resistance
movement cannot be eliminated because it exists across
the homeland and abroad as well as in the conscience
of the Muslim Ummah and the world's free people."
As he asserted, Hamas is a mass movement rooted in the
lived reality of occupation in Palestine and the universal
desire for freedom.
For Haniyeh, the resistance was also morally superior to its enemy.
"The resistance fighters, unlike the enemy, do not target civilians,
children, or elderly people." This distinction, he believed, was
fundamental to understanding the war.
Haniyeh's words carried particular weight because of the personal
price he paid. He was on the frontline, and so was his family. He
lost nearly 60 members of his family to Israeli airstrikes since
October 7, 2023. Three of his sons and three grandchildren
were killed in a single attack in April 2024. His response
was remarkable..... in its defiance and patience.
"I thank Allah for this honour that He bestowed upon us through
the martyrdom of my three sons and grandchildren," he said.
"With this pain and blood, we create hope, a future, and
freedom for our people, our cause, and our nation."
"We say to the occupation - that this blood will only make us
more steadfast in our principles and adherence to our land."
From Palestine to Lebanon to Yemen,
leaders may die.. but the resistance
lives on
From Palestine to Lebanon to Yemen, the Axis of Resistance
has continued to grow in power despite leadership losses,
which shows the movement is not dependent on leaders.
He stated that the Israeli regime was delusional to think it will make
the Palestinians change their position by killing their children and
family members. "Killing their sons would only make Hamas
fighters more steadfast in their principles. My children
stayed with our people in the Gaza Strip and did
not leave the besieged territory."
While Haniyeh was open to negotiations, he was uncompromising
about the fundamental demands of the Palestinian people and
their dignity.
"The resistance will not be satisfied with anything less than a
complete cessation of aggression, the withdrawal of the
occupying army from Gaza, and the lifting of the
oppressive siege," he asserted.
He articulated the clear conditions ---- which included a permanent
ceasefire, complete Israeli withdrawal, return of displaced people
to their homes, reconstruction of Gaza, lifting of the siege, and a
serious prisoner exchange.
"There will be no agreement with the Israeli regime before the
full cessation of its aggression against the Gaza Strip and
the withdrawal of its forces from the territory."
Haniyeh rejected any arrangement for Gaza that excluded Hamas
and other resistance groups, and said any arrangement for Gaza
after the war ends that does not include Hamas - as well as
other Palestinian factions - was an illusion.
The resistance, he insisted, would remain "faithful to the
Palestinian people and their legitimate aspirations and
will continue to guard Gaza."
He also warned --- against false compromises. "The enemy will not
succeed in its goals and the castles will not fall," he said. "What
the enemy failed to attain ------ through killing, destruction, and
genocide, cannot be achieved in the course of negotiations."
Haniyeh never failed to acknowledge the role of Iran and members
of the resistance axis in supporting the Palestinian struggle.
For example, on November 24, 2023, he expressed "gratitude for the
firm support of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the president,
the government and the people of Iran, as well as the active
diplomatic support of the Iranian FM for the Palestinian
issue and its people."
He also extended this gratitude --- to Lebanon's Hezbollah, Yemen's
Ansarullah, and resistance groups in Iraq and Syria. Their support,
he said, "bears a clear message to the Zionist regime and the US"
that the resistance ---- was part of a regional front --- confronting
Western hegemony.
On March 26, 2024, he stated that "the support Iran has provided to
the Palestinian cause and the people in Gaza during the ongoing
war is praiseworthy." Iran's support, he believed, "raises the
morale of the Palestinian resistance fighters."
Haniyeh understood the broader strategic importance of this
alliance. "Palestinian resistance today stands on the front
line against Western hegemony," he declared on July 30,
2024, a day before his assassination. "The enemy
seeks to dismantle this front line to impose its
policies and dominate the region, aiming to
bring the resistance to its knees."
He identified Iran's role as critical in this confrontation: "This
underscores the critical strategy of the Islamic Republic of
Iran in supporting resistance and countering the influence
of regional representations of arrogance, notably the
Zionist regime."
In his final statements, Haniyeh projected unwavering confidence in
the ultimate outcome. "Palestinian people and resistance fighters
must establish their heroism and victory against Israel," he said
on July 30, 2024. "The regime's genocidal war on Gaza has
reached a critical and historical stage... after 300 days."
He saw Israel's aggression as the death throes of a dying settler-
colonial project. "Israel's image has been shattered and it has
become unprecedentedly isolated," he declared. "Israel
poses a danger to the entire Arab and Muslim region."
The regime, he asserted, was a "spoiled child of the West," and its
moral bankruptcy ---- was now visible to all. The path forward, for
Haniyeh, was clear: "The resistance is the sole solution for the
Palestinians to get rid of the Israeli regime's vicious acts."
Haniyeh was assassinated.. on July 31, 2024. In his final month, he
spoke with the clarity of a leader who knew the stakes were high.
He had lost family, endured occupation, and witnessed
unimaginable suffering, but he never wavered.
The Hamas leader left a legacy not merely of political leadership,
but of steadfastness in the face of overwhelming odds. He
articulated a vision of Palestine free from occupation, a
people united in resistance, and a future built on the
sacrifices of the martyrs.
"With this pain and blood, we create hope, a future, and freedom: for
our people, our cause, and our nation," he declared after the killing
of his three sons, demonstrating how he valued the Palestinian
cause above personal losses.
The resistance, he insisted, would continue. The movement that
offers its leaders as martyrs cannot be defeated. And the cause
– the liberation of Palestine – would ultimately prevail. That
was his conviction, and he died believing it.
Burhan Abidi is a Karachi-based writer and political analyst
with the focus on Palestine and the resistance movements.
(The views expressed in this article are the author’s own
and do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV)
_______________________________________________________
Israel uses 700 tons of explosives
in new attacks on Lebanon
July 31st, 10:23am
(PressTV)
The Israeli military has conducted new attacks near Shaqif
Fortress (Beaufort Castle) in southern Lebanon, causing
huge explosions in adjacent areas.
Lebanese media reported Israeli bombings on the villages
of Yohmor al-Shaqif, Haddatha, and Kfar Tebni.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and minister of
military affairs Israel Katz announced late Thursday in a
joint statement that the regime’s army had used 700
tons of explosives, to target alleged tunnels of
Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement
in the area.
They said the assault was planned for an earlier date but
had been postponed due to last month’s US-mediated
framework deal between Israel and Lebanon.
They also noted that the occupation’s military “will remain in the
security zone in southern Lebanon and will continue to destroy
all … infrastructure to prevent any attempt by Hezbollah to
restore its capabilities.”
The framework agreement, signed on June 26, calls for the
withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from southern
Lebanon alongside the deployment of the
Lebanese army.
Since its signing, however, Israel .....has continued its military
aggression across southern Lebanon, carrying out airstrikes,
demolitions and the burning of homes in border towns.
According to official Lebanese figures, Israeli attacks have killed
at least 4,333 people, injured more than 12,236 others and
displaced over one million since March 2.
Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon,
including territories it has held for years as well as
others it seized during the 2023-24 onslaught.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on Friday
that Israel has no intention of conducting a full
withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
In comments to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, Berri said his
Wednesday meeting with President Joseph Aoun was intended
to convey that "all the evidence indicates that Israel has no
decision to withdraw from Lebanese territory before
the elections".
"The agreement was stillborn.... and no one speaks of it
anymore," Berri was quoted as saying. "Israel buried
it through its non-compliance."
The speaker, a senior figure who heads the Amal Movement,
also said Netanyahu faces a "serious risk of collapse" .
The June 26 framework agreement, signed by Lebanese and
Israeli ambassadors in Washington, provides for a phased
Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon alongside the
deployment of the Lebanese army and the dismantling
of Hezbollah's military infrastructure.
But Israel would be permitted to remain in an expanded security
zone ....for the time being, according to reporting on the deal.
Berri has consistently rejected the agreement, describing it in late
June as "diktats" that "won't be implemented". He has also
warned that the deal - could incite internal divisions and
draw Lebanese into confrontation among themselves.
Israel rules out withdrawal from occupied
Lebanon, wants 'freedom of action'
Israel has declared that it will not agree to any
“additional withdrawals” from Lebanon in the
next round of negotiations with the Beirut
government, while seeking to maintain
“freedom of action” - in areas handed
over to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
On Thursday, Lebanese Army Commander General Rudolphe
Haykal warned --- that Israel is attempting to incite internal
unrest in the Arab country.
He stressed the need for national vigilance and unity
---- to counter Israeli conspiracies against Lebanon.
Haykal said the Lebanese army remains ready to deploy
"to all areas from which the Israeli occupation forces
withdraw," but warned: that the Zionist regime is
deliberately undermining that process.
"The occupation ---- persists in its attacks and repeated
violations to obstruct the army's efforts," he asserted.
Despite challenges, the Lebanese military is committed
to fulfilling its national duties - including securing the
northern and eastern borders, monitoring maritime
boundaries, and combating terrorism, he said.
The comments came days before Lebanese and Israeli officials
are expected to meet indirectly in the Italian capital of Rome
on August 4 to discuss the implementation of the framework
deal’s security arrangements.