This picture taken from Lebanon’s southern city of Tyre shows a smoke plume erupting following an Israeli air strike on the village of Tayrdebba on October 16, 2024. Agence France-Presse
PARIS — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a French newspaper that Israeli forces had found “state-of-the-art” Russian weapons in searches of Hezbollah bases in south Lebanon.
Netanyahu highlighted to Le Figaro newspaper, in an interview released Wednesday, that under a 2006 UN Security Council resolution only the Lebanese army was allowed to have weapons south of the country’s key Litani river.
Article continues after this advertisement“However, in this area, Hezbollah has dug hundreds of tunnels and caches, where we have just found a quantity of state-of-the-art Russian weapons,” the French article quoted Netanyahu as saying.
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The Washington Post, quoting Israeli officials, has reported that Russian and Chinese anti-tank weapons had been found in Israel’s raids inside Lebanon since it escalated its conflict with the Iran-backed Hezbollah last month.
Article continues after this advertisementThe Israeli army did not immediately respond to an AFP question about the prime minister’s comments.
Article continues after this advertisementIsrael says the aim of its military campaign against Hezbollah is to make the region safe so that about 60,000 evacuated residents of northern Israel can return to their homes.
Article continues after this advertisementMany left their homes because of cross-border shelling between Israel and Hezbollah after the launch of the Gaza war on October 7 last year.
READ: Israel pounds Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon, killing mayor
Article continues after this advertisement“A new civil war in Lebanon would be a tragedy. It is certainly not our aim to provoke one. Israel does not intend to interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs,” Netanyahu told Le Figaro.
“Our only aim is to allow our citizens living along the Lebanon frontier to go home and feel safe,” he added.
Hezbollah and Israel fought a gradually mounting artillery duel after the Hamas attacks on Israel set off the Gaza war.
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Since Israel started raids on Hezbollahvola, at least 1,373 people have died in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures. The real toll is likely higher.
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