Israeli attacks hamper Lebanese army deployment

Beirut, April 17 – Information Minister Paul Morcos stated today that repeated Israeli attacks hamper the Lebanese army's ability to fully deploy in the south of the country.

After the government session at the Baabda Presidential Palace, the head emphasized that the Armed Forces will fulfill their duties despite limited capabilities.

Morcos noted that the President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, described his recent meeting with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as excellent, and Doha reiterated support for the army and its plans to increase investments in the nation.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam emphasized the need for quick judicial appointments and discussed his visit to Syria, where he addressed border control, smuggling, the fate of Lebanese detainees and requested information from interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa on the Beirut port explosion, he detailed.

For his part, Industry Minister Joe Issa Al-Khoury pointed out that the far-right Lebanese Forces proposed a six-month term to begin collecting all unauthorized weapons, starting with Palestinian camps.

However, the head of Labor, Mohammad Haidar, revealed that although this disarmament schedule was raised again, President Aoun ignored the discussion completely.

Haidar added that the army carried out more than 3,000 operations alone and more than 2,500 jointly with the United Nations Interim Force (Unifil) and assumed control of several Palestinian sites.

At the meeting, Army Commander Rodolphe Haikal presented a security report on the army's operations and Lebanon's continued adherence to UN Resolution 1701, in contrast to Israel.

The government session also addressed the technical process for munitions destruction and approved the extension of UNIFIL's mandate.

According to official figures, since the ceasefire agreement came into effect on November 27, Israel has committed at least 2,740 violations, killing 190 people, and wounding another 485. (Text and photo: PL)