Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon.
Netanyahu said on Monday (1 June) that “terror targets” in Dahieh would be struck in response to rocket and drone attacks on Israeli civilians and other ceasefire violations. Dahieh, located in southern Beirut, is a stronghold of the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.
"In light of the repeated violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon by the terrorist organisation Hezbollah and the attacks on our cities and citizens, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz have instructed the IDF to strike terror targets in the Dahiyeh district of Beirut," a joint statement said.
In a separate statement, Katz said there would be "no calm in Beirut" if Hezbollah attacks continued, and vowed to establish a military-controlled zone in the area of south Lebanon's Litani River.
Since a ceasefire on 17 April, Israel and Hezbollah have both accused each other daily of violating the ceasefire.
"The Dahiyeh in Beirut is no different from the communities in northern Israel -- if there is no calm in the north, there will be no calm in Beirut," Katz's statement said.
Military delegations from Lebanon and Israel held security talks in Washington on Friday (29 May) and more US-brokered negotiations are planned for Tuesday and Wednesday.
"To advance those talks, the United States proposed a clear sequence: Hezbollah must stop all attacks on Israel. In return, Israel would refrain from escalation in Beirut," said a senior US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Source: commonspace.eu with Al-Monitor
