Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called on Lebanon on Wednesday to cooperate and exert joint efforts to confront Hezbollah, on the eve of anticipated talks between the two parties in Washington.
اضافة اعلان
In a speech addressed to diplomats during an event marking the 78th anniversary of Israel's independence, Sa'ar stated: "Tomorrow, direct talks between Israel and Lebanon will resume in Washington. I call upon the Lebanese government to cooperate with us against terrorism."
He added: "This cooperation is required from your side more than it is from ours. It demands moral clarity and the courage to take risks. However, there is no real alternative to ensuring a future of peace for both you and us."
Lebanon and Israel have been officially at war since 1948. A U.S. State Department official told AFP that a new round of talks is scheduled to be held in Washington this Thursday.
Israel seized additional areas in southern Lebanon after the Iranian-backed Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in support of Tehran on March 2nd. The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has resulted in the deaths of over 2,400 people and the displacement of approximately one million on the Lebanese side. It has also claimed the lives of 15 Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon and three civilians in Israel.
Despite the ceasefire agreement currently in effect, Israeli forces continue to occupy and operate within areas of southern Lebanon. Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed that his country would use "full force" in Lebanon if its soldiers were threatened. Under the terms of the truce, Israel maintains that it reserves the right to act against "planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks."
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli military announced that its forces killed two individuals who "violated ceasefire understandings" in the Wadi al-Saluki area of southern Lebanon on Tuesday. The statement noted that the two "crossed the forward line of defense and approached the soldiers, posing an immediate threat," adding that the Air Force subsequently targeted and killed them.
An Israeli airstrike also killed one person and injured two others in Lebanon's Bekaa region on Wednesday, according to the Lebanese National News Agency.
Last week, the Israeli military announced the establishment of a "Yellow Line" buffer in southern Lebanon, similar to the line separating its forces from Hamas-controlled areas in Gaza. On Tuesday, the military stated that Hezbollah had fired rockets toward soldiers stationed in southern Lebanon and that it had targeted the launcher in response. It also announced the interception of a drone launched from Lebanon before it crossed into Israeli territory.
On the other hand, Lebanon's Hezbollah announced on Tuesday that it targeted northern Israel in response to what it considered "flagrant violations" of the ceasefire by the Hebrew state—the first such announcement since the ten-day truce began.
Sa'ar asserted on Wednesday that Israel has no "serious disputes" with Lebanon. He added: "Unfortunately, Lebanon is a failed state, effectively a state under Iranian occupation via Hezbollah." He concluded that "there is only one obstacle to peace and normalization between the two countries: Hezbollah."
Source: AFP
