Israeli escalation coincides with the second day of Rome talks; Aoun awards French ambassador the Cedar Order at the conclusion of his mission
Beirut – Mansour Shaaban The Israeli army accompanied the second day of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations, sponsored by the United States and resuming today in the Italian capital Rome, with further attacks and escalation. While everyone awaited the outcomes of the second day of the seventh round of talks, the Israeli army announced strikes on southern Lebanon. In a brief statement, the army said, “In response to a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement by the terrorist Hezbollah organization, the Israeli army has begun executing precise strikes in southern Lebanon.”
The statement came shortly after the army issued an evacuation order for the village of Mansouriya, urging residents to leave their homes immediately and move north at least 1,000 meters into open areas.
For its part, the Lebanese National News Agency reported that the Israeli warplane launched several airstrikes on areas in southern Lebanon, coinciding with artillery shelling, following an explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) that targeted an Israeli force in the Majdal Zoun area, killing two soldiers and injuring others. The official agency stated that “the airstrikes targeting the Mashaa’ al-Mansouriya area and the vicinity of Majdal Zoun town, south of Sidon city, came after the wounding of several Israeli occupation soldiers in an IED explosion in the Majdal Zoun area.”
The agency added that artillery shelling hit the outskirts of Majdal Zoun town, while Israeli warplanes conducted “dummy” airstrikes at medium altitude over several areas in southern Lebanon, deploying thermal balloons. The attacks resulted in at least one death and 11 injuries, according to the agency.
At Baabda Palace, President General Joseph Aoun, who has been closely following the Rome negotiations and monitoring the Israeli response to the proposal for the two experimental zones in Bint Jbeil and Khiam, conferred the Order of the Cedar, Officer rank, on French Ambassador Hervé Maigre, in appreciation of his contributions. Maigre had visited the President to bid farewell upon the conclusion of his diplomatic posting in Lebanon. Maigre also held an extended farewell meeting with Lebanese Forces party leader Samir Geagea.
In a parallel development, a Syrian security delegation led by Major General Malham al-Shantout, Deputy Minister of Interior for Security Affairs, visited Lebanese Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ahmad al-Hajar. The two discussed ways to develop existing relations between the interior ministries, activate direct communication channels, and exchange information, particularly in counter-terrorism, to address shared security challenges. They emphasized the importance of continuing to implement the plan for the return of Syrian displaced persons.
On the ground, Minister of National Defense Major General Michel Mneimneh and Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Sayegh inspected the extent of damage in the southern villages of Qaaqaa al-Jisr and Zouitar al-Gharbi, caused by the Israeli aggression on infrastructure, roads, and bridges. They followed up on implementation steps aimed at rehabilitating these sites to enable residents to return and remain in their homeland, stressing the importance of continued coordination among various state institutions to continue rehabilitation efforts.
In a prominent development, Maronite bishops, on the sixth anniversary of the Beirut port explosion crime, called for “expediting the issuance of the indictment.” They endorsed “the track of US-Lebanese-Israeli talks, so that those supervising and working to ensure their success arrange the steps leading to the complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the return of residents.” They strongly condemned “Israel’s continued deliberate infliction of harm on the border area, through bulldozing homes and institutions, destroying infrastructure, altering transportation and residential landmarks, burning or uprooting fruit-bearing forests and trees, and seizing them. They hope that putting an end to this will be a priority in the trilateral talks.”
Meanwhile, MP Saida Geagea, while chairing a meeting of the administrative board of the “Mount Arz Foundation” in Marjayoun, stressed that “protecting Lebanon and restoring its presence and role begins first with full adherence to the laws, and with upholding justice by issuing the indictment in the port crime as soon as possible, completing the trials, and implementing the commitments Lebanon has undertaken, foremost among them the Framework Agreement.”
