Lebanon: The Nabatieh Massacre as a Clear Israeli Message Challenging the US Path
In the deadliest operation since Lebanon agreed to sign the framework agreement with Israel, brokered by the United States, the occupying forces launched a bloody attack on the Nabatieh District today, resulting in the death of an entire family in the town of Ansar, two deaths in Deir el-Zahrani, and 11 injuries.
President Joseph Aoun considered the Israeli attacks a clear message of defiance to the negotiation track and to U.S. efforts aimed at implementing the agreement signed with Tel Aviv on June 26 in Washington, warning of the repercussions of continuing assaults on the south and repeated violations of the framework agreement, the military coordination group’s mandate, and international laws protecting civilians.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned against Israeli escalation and the accompanying raids, heavy shelling, and intimidation of residents in their homes, stating that it is extremely dangerous and undermines efforts to stabilize the south. He emphasized that the seven victims of the Israeli raid on Ansar were not military infrastructure, and that the children and women killed were not military targets.
For his part, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri said that the Israeli political and military levels do not attach any weight to agreements, laws, or efforts aimed at ending the war and tension in Lebanon and the region. He considered the two raids part of completing what he described as a “genocide war” that the “Israeli killing and destruction machine” continues to wage against stone, people, heritage, and everything connected to human life in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah announced that the Israeli attacks would be met “with what befits them.” In a statement, it said Israel must “clearly understand that its aggression, transgressions, and attempts to impose a fait accompli cannot continue, and will be met with what befits them.” It added that Lebanese authorities “must not insist on continuing the humiliating path of direct negotiations and offering free gifts to the enemy.”
While the Israeli military announced the elimination of a commander in the “Radwan Force” in the Ansar area, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that three soldiers were injured following an attack launched by Hezbollah in the security zone protecting the settlements.
Meanwhile, Iranian Assembly of Experts Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf announced today that he continues to maintain contact with “frontline” fighters in Lebanon, as the Lebanese government seeks to strengthen state sovereignty and centralize decisions on peace, war, and arms within its institutions.
Qalibaf, during a meeting with Iranian intellectuals, affirmed that he has been engaged in issues related to Lebanon since 1985. He said, “I had a friendship and close relationship with every Lebanese martyr, and I still maintain contact today with fighters on the front lines in Lebanon,” referring to Hezbollah.
He also noted that “resistance and Lebanon were included in the first article of the memorandum of understanding,” before discussing the content of what he described as the initial 15-article draft, adding that the United States had demanded Iran abandon its missile and nuclear programs, its “resistance front,” and the Strait of Hormuz.
