The firing of missiles from southern Lebanon towards Israel has caused controversy and criticism. Some argue that it breaches Lebanon’s sovereignty and endangers the country, while others express support for the Palestinian factions behind the attack. The caretaker government has condemned the rocket launch and reaffirmed its rejection of military escalation from Lebanese territory. However, the absence of a president for five months and the weakness of the central government has left Lebanon in a vulnerable position. Political parties have criticized each other, and regional powers have been affected. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and the Lebanese government have faced questions regarding their commitment to Resolution 1701 and their responsibility to preserve the country’s security. The firing of rockets from southern Lebanon has been seen as a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and a test for the opposition axis. Some argue that the area is controlled by Hezbollah and that the Lebanese authority is in a position of impotence, negligence, and complicity. While indirect support for the Palestinian cause has been expressed, responsibility and official action are also demanded.
The missiles fired at Israel from southern Lebanon sparked a state of controversy, between those who considered that these missiles and the Israeli missile response they brought breached Lebanon’s sovereignty and endangered it in light of dire economic and political conditions, and those who expressed support for the Palestinian factions that are believed to be responsible for attack.
The debate also turned to the domestic arena, with criticism directed at specific parties, and regional powers were affected.
official position
- On Thursday, the caretaker government headed by Najib Mikati issued a statement affirming that Lebanon absolutely rejects “any military escalation emanating from its land and the use of Lebanese territory to carry out operations that destabilize the existing stability.”
- It affirmed Lebanon’s condemnation and denunciation of the rocket launch from southern Lebanon, stressing that the army and UNIFIL forces are intensifying their investigations.
headless
Lebanon has been without a president for 5 months, following the term of former President Michel Aoun ended, and the political forces failed to agree on the name of a new president several times.
Therefore, the government appears to be in a weak position, especially as it is a caretaker government, in a country that is already suffering from enormous economic hardship and the weakness of the central government in front of political forces such as Hezbollah, which some accuse of facilitating the launch of rockets.
The Israeli army targets Hamas sites in southern Lebanon
endanger the country
- The head of the Lebanese Kataeb Party, Sami Gemayel, criticized Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri for the rocket fire.
- He said in a tweet via “Twitter”: “It seems that the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament is satisfied with the use of #South_Lebanon as a platform for launching more than 60 rockets by Hamas and endangering its people. We have not heard anything from him.”
Geagea asks questions regarding sovereignty
For his part, the leader of the “Lebanese Forces” party, Samir Geagea, issued a statement regarding the rocket fire that came in the form of questions addressed to the government:
- First: What are the national obligations that necessitate at this very moment the firing of dozens of missiles from southern Lebanon towards Israel?
- Second: What will be the Lebanese government’s reaction to its commitments to abide by the provisions of Resolution 1701?
- Third: What if a single pane of glass was shattered in the house of a Lebanese citizen in the south as a result of the exchange of missiles and artillery shelling? Where will the Lebanese government get the money needed to repair it?
- This is in addition to the basic, pivotal and urgent question: Did the Lebanese government meet or take the decision to launch missiles from the south towards Israel?
- By abandoning the strategic decision of the state in favor of the resistance axis, the Lebanese government has abandoned its main responsibility to preserve the security of the country and the citizen.
“Lebanon turned into a mailbox”
- The “Lebanese Land Movement” stressed “the necessity of adhering to Resolution 1701 and limiting the strategic decision and weapons to the Lebanese army alone.”
- Commenting on the rocket fire, which the Israeli army accused Hamas of being behind, she said in a statement: “It is enough to violate Lebanon’s sovereignty and dedicate it as an arena to the axis of opposition.”
- The “renewed” bloc considered that the firing of rockets from southern Lebanon confirms that “the defiance project has turned Lebanon into a test field and a regional mailbox, and it is paying its people, sovereignty and economy the high price, without constituting any practical support for the steadfast Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause.”
- The “renewal” statement added: “These events, which often take place in an area controlled by Hezbollah, and fall within the area south of the Litani, which is supposed, according to Resolution 1701, to be free of illegal weapons, placing the Lebanese authority in a position of impotence, negligence, and complicity (… )”.
Lebanese soldiers and citizens inspect sites bombed by Israel.
Lebanese soldiers and citizens inspect sites bombed by Israel.
“Lebanon is not a missile platform”
- Representative Mark Daou tweeted on his Twitter account: “Lebanon is not a missile platform serving anyone. National sovereignty is above all considerations. Whoever fired the missiles and facilitated them committed a crime once morest Lebanon.”
“Responsibility imposes an official position”
- Representative Ziyad al-Hawat tweeted on his Twitter account: “We will not accept exposing Lebanon to dangers at a delicate and critical regional moment. The firing of missiles is the use of the southern arena once once more to serve external interests that Lebanon and the Lebanese have nothing to do with.”
- He added, “Turning a blind eye does not absolve one from responsibility. Responsibility also imposes an official position on what happened.”
Damage to a facility inside Israel as a result of rockets, Thursday.
Damage to a facility inside Israel as a result of rockets, Thursday.
indirect supporters
The representative of the Hezbollah militia, Hassan Ezzedine, confirmed that “Hezbollah and the resistance have declared that they are with the Palestinian people in defending their right and sanctities in the face of the Israeli enemy.”
He said, “We renew the declaration and endorse and support all forms, procedures, decisions, and plans taken by the Palestinian resistance factions, because they constitute the line of defense for our sanctities, rights, honor, dignity, and pride.”
However, the Hezbollah leader did not go into details of what happened, and whether the party had contributed or helped the factions that were believed to have fired the rockets.
A fire broke out in a settlement in northern Israel
As for the head of the “National Solidarity Gathering” close to Hezbollah, Sheikh Mustafa Malas, he addressed the tense situation in Al-Aqsa Mosque, condemning its storming by Israel.
In a statement, he called for “activating the principle of the unity of the arenas and expanding it, and striking the enemy search and find, especially since the Zionist enemy is expanding the scope of its aggression inside and outside Palestine (…)”.
The recent missile attack from southern Lebanon has sparked controversy and debate within Lebanon, with some arguing that it breaches Lebanon’s sovereignty and endangers its citizens, while others express support for the Palestinian factions behind the attack. The situation is complicated by Lebanon’s leadership vacuum, which has left the country in a weak position in the face of political forces, such as Hezbollah, that may be facilitating such attacks. The government has issued a statement affirming its rejection of any military escalation from its land and condemning the rocket launch, while other political leaders have criticized the government and called for greater adherence to UN resolutions. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has expressed support for the Palestinian cause but has not commented on its role in the rocket attack. Amidst all the controversy, it is clear that Lebanon remains a fragile and divided country, struggling to maintain its sovereignty and stability in a complex and volatile region.
