Aoun: Israel Obstructs the Agreement, the Resistance Is Committed, and the Rockets Are a Pretext for Escalation

Al Binaa

29-03-2025

The political editor wrote
For the first time since the ceasefire took effect exactly four months ago, the occupying entity's warplanes and drones launched a series of airstrikes on the southern suburb of Beirut. This came after the spread of rumors about U.S. guarantees that Beirut and Dahieh would not be targeted by the occupation following last week's rocket incident into occupied Palestinian territory. The strikes resulted in the destruction of several residential and commercial buildings.
American statements left no doubt about the purpose of these airstrikes, and perhaps even the rockets and their launchers, as a pretext for justifying aggression. Three identical U.S. positions emerged, offering full support for the Israeli assault while placing blame on Lebanon. They asserted that the Israeli strikes were due to the Lebanese army's failure to initiate a battle to disarm the resistance. This stance was conveyed by Morgan Ortagus, the U.S. Deputy Envoy to the region, as well as through reports from Axios citing American officials, and a statement from the U.S. State Department. These American statements followed previous calls for Lebanon to establish political negotiation committees with the occupation.
The illusion that Washington would pressure Israel to fulfill its ceasefire obligations under Resolution 1701, and thereby support Lebanon's recovery, was decisively shattered. This was made clear in a joint press conference in Paris, where President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed that Hezbollah had upheld its commitments to the Lebanese state. Aoun held Israel responsible for violating the ceasefire and continuing its aggression against Lebanon. He also refused to blame Hezbollah for the rocket fire or the Lebanese army for not preventing it, noting that Israel had remained in Gaza for over a year and still failed to stop rocket launches from there. He praised the resistance's adherence to its obligations under the ceasefire and Resolution 1701, reiterating that the issue of its arms and future would be determined through a national dialogue on defense strategy. For now, he stressed, the priority is securing Israel's withdrawal and stopping its aggression. He described the rockets as a mere pretext for launching an unjustifiable assault.
In Lebanon, during the Iranian Embassy's commemoration of International Quds Day, Mohammad Raad, head of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, responded to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's claim that the 'people-army-resistance' equation was a thing of the past. Raad countered that governments are what fade into history, while equations forged in the blood of martyrs endure beyond time itself.
Raad further stated, 'Anyone in this country who claims exclusive authority over war and peace, whether the state or any other entity, is detached from reality. The Zionist enemy alone wages war, continues its aggression, and maintains its occupation. The state, on its own, lacks the capacity to defend the country and protect its people, while some within it promote defeatism and submission, aligning with the enemy's schemes and bowing to its will. At the very least, the government, its president and ministers, should unify its national rhetoric in this critical phase.'