The President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli raid that targeted a Lebanese army patrol on the Khardali-Nabatieh road this morning, which led to the martyrdom of two officers and a soldier, considering that the attack constitutes a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and international laws and norms.
President Aoun pointed out that the two officers and the soldier who were martyred joined the convoy of martyrs, including military personnel, civilians, children, women, ambulance and rescue personnel, and media professionals who fell as a result of the continuing Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
The President of the Republic stressed that targeting the army patrol comes in the context of the ongoing Israeli escalation that threatens security and stability in the south, despite the efforts made by Lebanon in the ongoing negotiations in Washington to put an end to the repeated Israeli attacks.
Aoun stressed that this attack reflects Israel’s continued violation of Lebanese sovereignty and its failure to adhere to the obligations of international law and relevant resolutions, at a time when the Lebanese state is making intense political and diplomatic efforts to stabilize stability and prevent the situation from deteriorating.
The President of the Republic extended his deepest condolences to the army leadership and the families of the martyrs, praising the sacrifices of the military personnel who pay their lives to defend the homeland and its sovereignty and protect the Lebanese.
He stressed that Lebanon will not be lax in protecting its land and people, and that Israeli attacks will not deter it from adhering to its full national rights, no matter how great the pressures and challenges.
Aoun also called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and take action to stop the repeated Israeli attacks, and to work to ensure respect for the relevant international resolutions, in a way that preserves Lebanon’s security and stability and prevents continued escalation.
The President of the Republic’s position comes after the Israeli raid that targeted a Lebanese army vehicle on the Khardali-Nabatieh road, which led to the martyrdom of two officers and a soldier, in one of the most serious attacks that targeted the military institution during the last stage.
Targeting the Lebanese army carries special connotations in light of the role played by the military institution in maintaining security and stability and expanding its deployment in the south, in conjunction with the efforts made to implement security arrangements and keep pace with the course of negotiations aimed at stopping the Israeli attacks and establishing the calm.
This development also comes at a time when the Lebanese arena is witnessing a continuous field escalation, amid continuing Israeli raids on a number of southern and Bekaa regions, in parallel with an intense political and diplomatic movement led by the Lebanese state on more than one level to contain the crisis and prevent it from sliding into a broader confrontation.
