[News] ‘Strike Civilian Infrastructure’ – Israel Warns Lebanon as Army Ordered to ‘Remain and Respond’

[Anti-Imperialist News]

palestinechronicle.com
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/strike-civilian-infrastructure-israel-warns-lebanon-as-army-ordered-to-remain-and-respond/>
‘Strike Civilian Infrastructure’ – Israel Warns Lebanon as Army Ordered to
‘Remain and Respond’February 24, 2026
------------------------------
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah Deputy
Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem. (Design: Palestine Chronicle)

*By Palestine Chronicle Staff
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/palestine-chronicle-staff>*

Israel warns of strikes on civilian infrastructure as the Lebanese army
reinforces the border post and orders a response.

Key Developments

   - Lebanese army says Israeli forces opened fire on a newly established
   monitoring post near Sarda–Marjayoun.
   - An Israeli drone reportedly flew at low altitude, issuing threats to
   force Lebanese troops to withdraw.
   - Occupation army ordered reinforcements and instructed forces to
   respond to sources of fire.
   - Cairo hosted a preparatory meeting for a Paris conference to support
   the Lebanese army and internal security forces.
   - Israel reportedly warned Lebanon it would strike civilian
   infrastructure if Hezbollah entered any US-Iran war.
   - Hezbollah vowed resistance following deadly Israeli strikes in the
   Bekaa.

Israeli Fire

The Lebanese army announced Tuesday that Israeli forces opened fire on the
vicinity of a newly established monitoring point along the southern border,
in what it described as a new violation of the November 27, 2024, ceasefire
and UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

According to an official military statement, army units were in the process
of setting up a monitoring post in the Sarda area of the Marjayoun district
when “the vicinity of the post came under fire from the Israeli side.”

The army added that an Israeli drone flew at low altitude over the area and
issued threats aimed at forcing Lebanese troops to withdraw.

In response, “the army command issued orders to reinforce the position,
remain in place, and respond to sources of fire,” the statement said.

It added that the matter is being followed up in coordination with the
ceasefire oversight committee and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The incident comes as the Lebanese army continues to establish and
reinforce military positions in the south, part of an effort to extend
state authority and secure the border following the 2024 war.

Lebanese officials have repeatedly accused Israel of ongoing ceasefire
violations, including near-daily strikes and continued occupation of five
strategic hilltops seized during the latest conflict.
Cairo Meeting

The escalation unfolded as Egypt hosted a preparatory meeting in Cairo for
an upcoming international conference in Paris aimed at supporting the
Lebanese army and internal security forces.

The meeting, which included broad international participation, focused on
urgent operational needs for the army, institutional and logistical
requirements for the internal security forces, and coordination mechanisms
ahead of the March 5 conference in Paris.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the wide international
presence sends “a strong message of solidarity with the Lebanese state” and
aims to help national institutions, foremost the army and internal security
forces, strengthen sovereignty and assert full control.

Abdelatty warned of the “danger of continued Israeli violations” and called
for Israel’s “full and unconditional withdrawal from all Lebanese
territory,” including the five points it occupied during its 2024
aggression.

He stressed the need for full, synchronized implementation of the ceasefire
agreement and Resolution 1701 “without selectivity,” arguing that ongoing
violations weaken the army’s ability to implement plans for consolidating
state authority.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Abdelatty met with French envoy Jean-Yves
Le Drian. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to mobilizing financial
and technical resources to support Lebanese institutions and discussed
coordination within the five-member group on Lebanon, which includes Egypt,
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, and the United States.
Israeli Threats

Against the backdrop of rising US-Iran tensions, two senior Lebanese
officials told Reuters that Israel has conveyed warnings that it would
strike Lebanon “hard,” including civilian infrastructure such as Beirut’s
airport, if Hezbollah becomes involved in any potential US-Iran war.

The message was reportedly delivered indirectly. Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and the Lebanese presidency did not immediately
comment.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, speaking in Geneva, confirmed that
authorities have urged Hezbollah not to take actions that could trigger
“bad situations” for Lebanese civilians.

“Lebanon has received signs that the Israelis could strike civilian
infrastructure and maybe the airport,” Rajji said, adding that the
government is appealing to Western partners to press Israel against
targeting civilian facilities.

The warnings come amid growing speculation that Washington could resort to
military action if nuclear negotiations with Tehran collapse. The US State
Department has ordered nonessential embassy personnel and their families to
leave Lebanon, citing heightened regional tensions.
‘No Option Other Than Resistance’

The tensions intensified following Israeli strikes in eastern Lebanon’s
Bekaa Valley and the south, which killed 10 Lebanese. Hezbollah official
Mahmud Qamati described the strikes as “a new massacre and a new
aggression.”

“What option do we have left to defend ourselves and our country? What
option do we have other than resistance? We no longer have any option,” he
said in remarks broadcast by Al-Manar.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the attacks as “a blatant act of
aggression aimed at thwarting diplomatic efforts” to restore stability.

The strikes occurred as the Lebanese government moves forward with a phased
plan to disarm Hezbollah in the south. The army announced last month that
it had completed the first phase near the Israeli border.

Israel, however, claims Hezbollah continues to rearm and has described
Lebanese army efforts as insufficient.

Since the November 2024 ceasefire, Israel has carried out near-daily
strikes, asserting they target Hezbollah. Lebanese officials argue these
operations constitute persistent violations of the truce and undermine
efforts to restore state authority.
Our Strategic Assessment

The latest border incident must be understood within Israel’s broader
objective of weakening — and ultimately destroying — Hezbollah as a
military and political force.

Since the 2024 war, Israel has maintained near-daily strikes despite the
ceasefire, suggesting the truce is viewed as a temporary pause rather than
a lasting settlement. Continued military pressure, coupled with warnings
about targeting civilian infrastructure, points to a strategy that seeks to
reshape Lebanon’s internal balance. Israel appears keen to exploit
political divisions and anti-Hezbollah sentiment within segments of
Lebanon’s political class to weaken the resistance from within.

Hezbollah, however, is exercising strategic patience. Despite losing
fighters in recent Israeli strikes, it has avoided large-scale retaliation.
This restraint likely reflects an understanding that Israel may be seeking
escalation to justify a return to full-scale war and further destabilize
Lebanon internally. The ceasefire, in this reading, was never an endpoint
but a respite in an ongoing confrontation.

There is also no clear indication that Hezbollah intends to disarm. The
movement continues to frame its weapons as essential for deterrence.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese army — constrained by financial weakness and
political fragmentation — is unlikely to have either the capacity or the
backing to forcibly disarm a powerful and entrenched resistance movement.

Crucially, developments in Lebanon are inseparable from tensions
surrounding Iran. Israel’s warnings about a broader confrontation if
Hezbollah enters any US-Iran war underscore the intrinsic link between the
Iranian file and Lebanon’s future stability.

In strategic terms, the war has paused — but it has not ended.

*(Al-Mayadeen, Anadolu, Israeli Media, PC)*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20260224/8609f148/attachment.htm>