A Lebanese source said Sunday that Hezbollah is deliberately seeking to derail direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, claiming the terrorist organization is stepping up its military activity while awaiting a green light from Iran to escalate further.
Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan cited a local political source as warning of Hezbollah's plans. The source said the organization was trying to disrupt the US-sponsored negotiations and was waiting for instructions from Tehran before broadening the military confrontation, against the backdrop of tensions between Iran and the US administration.
According to the Lebanese source, the current escalation in southern Lebanon is opening the door to dangerous scenarios that could lead to renewed war and the collapse of diplomatic talks. At the same time, the source also pointed a finger at Israel, claiming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was seeking a military achievement on the southern Lebanon front. The source claimed Netanyahu's goal was to improve his political standing ahead of the upcoming Israeli elections and to use developments on the ground to pressure the Lebanese side in the negotiations.
Meanwhile, Lebanese security officials told the Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat that any Hezbollah attempt to repel the IDF's advance in the Ali al-Taher Ridge area would likely be met with an expansion of Israeli strikes deeper into Lebanon. The officials said the aim was to increase pressure on both Hezbollah and the Lebanese state. They added that Lebanon continued to maintain that the ceasefire should be consolidated and that additional pilot zones should be designated for an IDF withdrawal.
The warnings came after a tense weekend in southern Lebanon. Three IDF soldiers were seriously wounded Saturday when an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah struck a force operating in the Ali al-Taher Ridge area, in violation of the ceasefire. In response, the IDF struck a series of targets, including a Hezbollah headquarters from which the attack order had been issued. In one strike in the Deir al-Zahrani area, Abu Hassan Alaa, a senior commander in Hezbollah's Badr Unit, was killed.
Following the attack on the soldiers, the Prime Minister's Office issued an unusual English-language statement accusing Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields, after Lebanese authorities reported that 11 people had been killed in the Israeli strikes. The United States backed Israel, with a State Department spokesperson saying Hezbollah bore sole responsibility for the Israeli military presence on Lebanese soil and that the terrorist organization must be disarmed to ensure long-term stability.
