Israel sent political and security messages on Saturday to the Lebanese state and Hezbollah through a sudden escalation of strikes in southern Lebanon.
Israeli airstrikes on two towns killed 11 people, including an entire family, in what the Israeli military said was a response to a military operation carried out by Hezbollah against its forces operating in southern Lebanon. The military said it had targeted a Hezbollah command center, killing a senior commander in the group’s Radwan Force.
The escalation comes on the eve of the Monday expiration of the 60-day deadline stipulated in the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran. It also coincides with US mediation efforts between Lebanon and Israel to consolidate the ceasefire and expand the designated pilot areas in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, President Joseph Aoun said the escalation is a “message to the negotiation path and the US efforts aiming to consolidate the Framework Agreement”.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also said the escalation was “extremely dangerous and undermines efforts to consolidate stability in the south”, stressing that “dealing with any military infrastructure, if present on Lebanese territory, is the exclusive responsibility of the state, and its presence does not give Israel the right to violate Lebanese territory or put civilians at risk.”
While Hezbollah has not claimed responsibility for any military operation, Tel Aviv is seeking to establish new rules of engagement linked to Israeli preparations to seize control of the Ali al-Taher Heights.
According to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, Israel is trying to send Hezbollah a message that “any attempt to halt the advance toward Ali al-Taher heights will be met with an expansion of the bombing deeper into Lebanese territory.”
