Lebanese Prime Minister condemns Israeli strikes as breach of international law

Lebanon’s cabinet charged Israel with deliberately razing residences and civilian facilities across its southern region amid a tenuous cease-fire. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam asserted that the attacks, incursions and systematic demolition of homes constitute a serious breach of both international law and humanitarian norms, and dismissed Israeli assertions that the villages were legitimate military targets. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, after visiting the area, maintained that Israeli forces are destroying underground infrastructure and will not pull back from occupied zones in Lebanon, Syria or Gaza.

A U.S. State Department official emphasized expectations for all parties to act within the agreed framework, adding that Israel has stated it holds no territorial aims in Lebanon. Recent Israeli strikes have wounded several people, and earlier attacks in early August targeted towns such as Mansouri and Burj al-Shemali, following accusations that Hezbollah violated the cease-fire.