France has issued a warning to Israel regarding the potential breakdown of the ceasefire in Lebanon, which was set to expire on Sunday.
French officials reported that Israel had breached the ceasefire 52 times in the past 24 hours, with these violations not being conveyed through the designated monitoring mechanism. Allegedly, these actions led to the deaths of three Lebanese civilians. Additionally, France highlighted that Israeli drones had resumed flying at low altitudes over Beirut.
A senior French official voiced concern about the collapse of the ceasefire, stating, “The Lebanese are fully committed to maintaining the ceasefire and to prevent Hezbollah from returning to the south, but they need time to prove themselves.”
Israel responded to the French accusations by emphasizing that the implementation of the ceasefire agreement would gain momentum in the coming days. An Israeli diplomatic official confirmed, “any violation will be punished with a significant response, that’s what is happening on the ground.”
On Saturday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) conducted multiple strikes in Lebanon in response to violations of the ceasefire. One of the attacks targeted a military vehicle deep within Lebanese territory, which was operating near a Hezbollah missile manufacturing site. Additionally, the IDF struck a group of armed individuals in southern Lebanon who were loading RPGs and ammunition into a vehicle.
As part of the US guarantees tied to the ceasefire, Israel retains the right to respond to any breaches in southern Lebanon and to neutralize emerging threats elsewhere in Lebanese territory if the Lebanese government is either unable or unwilling to address them.
{Matzav.com Israel}