On Tuesday, the Lebanese Army Command decided to resume patrolling the area south of the Litani River in coordination with UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon).
The presence of the Lebanese army is symbolic. Hezbollah controls the entire south of Lebanon © LMD
On Tuesday, the Lebanese Army Command decided to resume patrolling the area south of the Litani River in coordination with UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon).
Its troops’ operations were suspended three days ago when the two forces’ joint patrol came under fire from Israel, close to Aita al-Shaab, in Bint Jbeil district.
According to a European diplomatic source, these patrols, which have been reduced to a strict minimum since the start of cross-border fighting in southern Lebanon in October, are vital to the army’s agenda, as the military institution has been trying from the outset to demonstrate “neutrality” in the conflict — distinguishing itself from Hezbollah and its actions.
The Israeli military issued an urgent warning on Sunday to residents of 11 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, urging them to evacuate their homes and move at least 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) away to open areas.
Israel has firmly rejected claims circulating on social media and in some media outlets that a monastery in Yaroun, in southern Lebanon, was demolished by Israeli forces, calling the reports "false" and demanding an immediate public correction.
Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, known as "Loyalty to Resistance," issued a statement Friday rejecting and condemning all direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, declaring that "any outcome or result from this diplomatic process is of no concern to us whatsoever."
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