BEIRUT, (PIC)
Fighting between Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah and Israeli occupation forces has sharply intensified, as Hezbollah’s secretary-general Naim Qassem warned that continued aggression leaves only two options: “confrontation or surrender,” ruling out the second option. Meanwhile Israeli forces confirmed the death of a soldier and mounting casualties in ongoing clashes in southern Lebanon.
In a televised address on Monday evening, Qassem said Israel has committed more than 10,000 violations of the 27 November 2024 agreement over the past 15 months, accusing it of failing to adhere to any of its provisions.
He said the violations resulted in the killing of around 500 civilians, injuring hundreds more, and widespread destruction of homes across Lebanese areas.
Qassem dismissed the diplomatic track as ineffective, saying it had yielded “no meaningful progress” despite repeated promises, while Israeli attacks on Lebanon continued with US backing.
He added that the timing of the resistance’s response on 2 March exposed a broader premeditated offensive plan against Lebanon, stripping Israel of the element of surprise and limiting potential losses.
According to Qassem, the targets of the Israeli offensive go beyond immediate military aims, seeking to dismantle Lebanon’s sources of strength and resistance as part of the “Greater Israel” project.
He also criticized what he described as attempts to turn the Lebanese state into a tool for implementing Israeli policies, pointing to US and Israeli statements about strengthening the Lebanese army in a way that, he argued, ultimately aims to disarm Hezbollah.
Qassem rejected any direct negotiations with Israel, calling them a form of “submission and surrender,” and warned that any such process would be preconditioned on disarming Hezbollah and forcing a peace agreement.
Instead, he outlined five conditions for halting the aggression: a comprehensive ceasefire on land, sea, and air; immediate withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory; release of detainees; return of displaced residents to border areas; and the launch of an internationally supported reconstruction process. He stressed that these steps must precede any further discussions.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Israeli occupation forces announced that one soldier was killed and three others wounded in what they described as “fierce” battles in southern Lebanon, as heavy air strikes continued across multiple regions. Lebanese media reported that Israeli air raids over the past 24 hours killed at least 34 people and wounded 174 others in a preliminary toll. Airstrikes targeted towns including Mashghara and Sohmor in the eastern Bekaa Valley, reflecting an expanding scope of clashes along the border.
In response, Hezbollah escalated its operations, launching rocket barrages and drone attacks targeting concentrations of occupation forces in southern Lebanon and strategic sites in northern Israel, describing the attacks as part of a broad response to continued Israeli bombardment.
Air raid sirens sounded across several settlements in the Upper Galilee, including Metula, Kfar Giladi, and Misgav Am, after the detection of a drone crossing from Lebanon, according to the Israeli home front command. Alerts were later repeated in Ras al-Naqoura and other northern areas amid fears of further aerial incursions.
The Israeli occupation army also acknowledged that 154 officers and soldiers have been wounded in the fighting in southern Lebanon since last Thursday, including 34 in critical condition and 78 with moderate injuries, bringing the total number of wounded to 565 since the resumption of ground operations in early March.
Politically, Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh described a recent meeting in Washington between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors as “preparatory,” aimed at halting military attacks. He said Beirut had received commitments to de-escalation but lacked firm guarantees.
Salameh stressed that any serious discussion of peace must begin with a cessation of bombardment, noting that restoring full state authority, including addressing Hezbollah’s weapons, is a complex and long-term process that cannot be resolved quickly.