Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Wednesday that Israel’s claim that destroyed southern Lebanese villages are military sites “makes no sense.”
“The justification for these bulldozing and destruction operations under the pretext of the presence of military installations is refuted by the very nature of what is being targeted,” Salam wrote on US social media company X.
“Claiming that entire villages and towns, with their homes, neighborhoods, government buildings, public facilities, places of worship and infrastructure, are ‘military installations’ is illogical and cannot justify their destruction,” he said.
Israeli army attacks in southern Lebanon “constitute a grave violation of international and humanitarian law,” he added.
Lebanon’s sovereignty, the security of its people and the right of southern residents to return and rebuild their villages are “non-negotiable,” Salam stressed.
In a separate statement, the Lebanese army said ongoing Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon are hindering the completion of its deployment and the return of residents.
Israeli forces had blown up civilian facilities and homes in Eastern Zawtar, it said.
The attacks confirm Tel Aviv’s “continued destructive approach aimed at causing the greatest possible damage to southern towns and preventing the establishment of stability,” it added.
Israel continues its offensive against Lebanon, which began on March 2, killing 4,335 people, injuring 12,277 and displacing more than 1 million others, according to Lebanese authorities.
Under US sponsorship, Beirut and Tel Aviv signed a framework agreement on June 26 that calls for Israel’s gradual withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah.