In a tweet on Twitter, the commander of the Lebanese army on Tuesday called for full readiness on the southern border to confront the “threats” of Israel. An Israeli official described the Lebanese army’s warning as “nonsense.”
The Lebanese army commander in a tweet on Tuesday called for “full readiness” on the southern border to confront “the threats and violations of the Israeli enemy.”
General Joseph Aoun also called on the soldiers to “continue to ensure the implementation of resolution 1701 in coordination and cooperation with the United Nations forces in Lebanon in order to maintain stability.”
A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the Lebanese army’s warning as “nonsense”.
The “cessation of hostilities” ended a devastating 2006 war between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah group. The two sides have avoided any major conflict since then.
The United Nations maintains a peacekeeping force on the border. Under the resolution, the Lebanese army is responsible for border security in an area where any armed force, including Hezbollah, is prohibited.
– Tensions have risen in the region –
Tensions rose earlier this year between Hezbollah and Israel, which has increased concern over the expansion of Iran’s influence and its Lebanese ally in Syria and the region.
At the expense of the Lebanese army on Twitter, Aoun was quoted as saying: “I call on you to be fully prepared on the southern border to face the threats and violations of the Israeli enemy and its hostile intentions against Lebanon, its people and its army.”
The comments represent a rare acknowledgment by the military of the risk of a new conflict at a time of political crisis in Lebanon.
The army quoted Aoun as saying that “the exceptional political situation in Lebanon requires you to exercise the utmost awareness and vigilance and to take measures to maintain security stability.”
The sudden resignation of Saad Hariri from Lebanon’s premiership while in Saudi Arabia in Lebanon prompted an internal political crisis. It also brought the country back to the regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
