The Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, accused Souheil Bahij Harb, head of military intelligence in southern Lebanon, of cooperating with Hezbollah to cover up the killing of Irish UN peacekeeper Sean Rooney in Aaqibiyé.
Avichay Adraee © IDF
The Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, accused Souheil Bahij Harb, head of military intelligence in southern Lebanon, of cooperating with Hezbollah to cover up the killing of Irish UN peacekeeper Sean Rooney in Aaqibiyé.
Adraee alleged on X that Harb “regularly communicated with Hezbollah members” to obstruct the Lebanese army’s investigation and shield suspects in the December 2022 attack. A Lebanese court last month sentenced a Hezbollah-linked man to death in absentia for the killing.
The Lebanese army swiftly rejected the claims, calling them “false” and stressing that its officers “carry out their duties with integrity and professionalism.” The statement noted that Harb had coordinated closely with UNIFIL to clarify the incident.
The army further accused Israel of “continuing daily violations of Lebanese sovereignty” and spreading lies aimed at destabilizing the country.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades on Tuesday and both sides said they held positive discussions although it was not immediately clear if they agreed to a framework for peace.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has signaled his country's desire for full normalization with Lebanon, just ahead of a key round of peace talks scheduled in Washington.
Israeli and Lebanese envoys will meet for U.S.-mediated talks in Washington on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to calm weeks of Israeli fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah that has threatened to derail a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire.
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