"Israeli Forces Must Withdraw First"
Naim Qassem, the leader of Lebanon's armed group Hezbollah, has called on Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon.
According to the Associated Press on April 19 (local time), Qassem said in a televised speech the previous day, "How can we discuss a national defense strategy when warplanes are flying overhead and southern Lebanon is under occupation?" He added, "Israel must withdraw first and stop its flights in the airspace." He also emphasized that Hezbollah is upholding the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
Qassem's speech came just hours after two Israeli drones killed two people in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military stated that the airstrike killed two Hezbollah members.
After the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, triggered by a surprise attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas, Israel began conducting airstrikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon the following day, citing Hezbollah's support for Hamas. In September last year, Israel escalated its military operations by deploying ground troops to southern Lebanon for the first time in 18 years, but agreed to a ceasefire in November of the same year through U.S. mediation.
However, ongoing conflict persists over the agreement for both Israel and Hezbollah to withdraw their forces from southern Lebanon. Israel has insisted on maintaining outposts at five "strategic locations" in southern Lebanon and continues sporadic airstrikes targeting Hezbollah.
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), since the ceasefire took effect in November last year, at least 71 civilians, including 14 women and 9 children, have been killed in Lebanon by Israeli airstrikes.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
