Hezbollah: Israel intended Lebanon invasion despite March 2 rockets
Shafaq News- Beirut
Israel had planned to launch an offensive to invade Lebanon and eliminate Hezbollah regardless of the missile launch on March 2, the head of the group’s parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, said on Monday.
In a televised speech, Raad stated that for more than 15 months, Hezbollah had fully adhered to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government, with Israel following indirect negotiations mediated by a US presidential envoy in 2024. However, he said, “Israel did not respect the agreement for even a single day, while killing, destroying, and carrying out incursions into Lebanese villages.”
He further criticized the Lebanese government for “failing to confront repeated Israeli violations,” arguing that authorities lacked the capacity to pressure Israel through international partners, while accusing “some political actors” of exploiting the situation to promote calls for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
“The group warned over the past 15 months that its patience toward Israeli actions had limits, while Israel continued its activities in preparation for a broader confrontation in coordination with the United States.”
Rejecting accusations that the group sought to provoke a new conflict with Israel, he said it remains determined to defend Lebanon, its people, and the country’s sovereignty.
Earlier today, Hezbollah said its fighters carried out multiple rocket and drone attacks on Israeli military sites and settlements, including Nahariya, Haifa, and Tel Aviv.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Hezbollah of endangering the state by launching rockets toward Israel after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warning that the group operates outside state authority. Speaking to EU officials via video link, he stressed that Lebanon is working to prevent state collapse and expressed readiness to enter internationally sponsored direct talks with Israel to halt the conflict.
