Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, alongside US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, announced in a press conference today that Israel might resort to military action against Hezbollah if the group fails to withdraw north of the Litani River. This move is in accordance with the stipulations of United Nations Resolution 1701, which sought to end the 2006 Lebanon War.
UN Resolution 1701, which was agreed upon by both Israel and Hezbollah, mandates that no armed forces other than the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Lebanese forces should be present south of the Litani River. This condition implicitly calls for the withdrawal of both Hezbollah and Israeli forces from the area.
Despite the resolution, Hezbollah has reportedly maintained a presence south of the Litani River for several years, in clear violation of the agreement. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have substantiated these claims by releasing new evidence today. This evidence reportedly includes details of rocket and drone attacks originating from within southern Lebanon, further implicating Hezbollah in the breach of the resolution.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
One Response
Historical footnote — the Balfour Declaration in 1917 originally contemplated that Israel’s northern border would be at the Litani River. But negotiations between the Brits (Sykes) and the French (Picot) changed this and resulted in diminishing the boundaries of the Mandate of “Palestine” and the creation of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, etc.