The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)’s Quds Force called Thursday for Israel to withdraw from positions it occupied in Lebanon before the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
“Support for the resistance movement in Lebanon was a duty for all Muslims, and that removing Israel from the region was an achievable objective,” Esmail Qaani said in remarks carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
“The essence of the resistance's demands is the withdrawal of the occupying regime (Israel) to the positions it held before the start of the 40-day war,” he added. Qaani said Lebanese fighters would soon see the results of what he described as their “steadfast resistance.”
The Israeli army said Thursday it will continue its ongoing offensive in southern Lebanon despite a trilateral declaration issued in Washington Wednesday announcing an agreement on a ceasefire. Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some since decades ago and others since the 2023-2024 conflict.
During the current offensive, Israeli forces advanced more than 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory, marking the deepest incursion since 2000. Since March 2, Israel has conducted a large-scale offensive in Lebanon that has killed more than 3,500 people, wounded over 10,600 others, and displaced well over 1 million people, according to official figures.
Regional tensions have escalated since late February after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing more than 3,000 people.
Tehran, in retaliation, has targeted Israel and Gulf countries that host US bases and closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global shipping. A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 8, and efforts to reach a broader agreement have continued since then.
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