Israeli Ambassador Blames Hezbollah Aggression And Diplomatic Failure For Security Operation In Southern Lebanon Border
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon stated that Israel’s military actions against Hezbollah were forced by the repeated failure of diplomacy to enforce agreements that required Hezbollah to withdraw from southern Lebanon. Speaking at a press briefing, Danon said Israel expanded its forward defense area overnight in southern Lebanon to remove immediate terrorist threats near the border and provide an additional layer of protection for residents of northern Israel.
Danon emphasized that Israel did not seek escalation but was responding to weeks of rocket attacks launched by Hezbollah from areas where the group is prohibited from operating. He noted that under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, Hezbollah is not permitted to maintain weapons or military forces south of the Litani River. According to Danon, that agreement has been repeatedly violated while the Lebanese government has failed to prevent Hezbollah’s activities.
He also criticized the international community’s continued reliance on diplomacy without enforcement. Danon referenced recent remarks by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres suggesting that diplomacy and dialogue were the only solutions, arguing that diplomacy cannot succeed when agreements are ignored and violations go unchecked.
During the briefing, Danon presented a map showing that Hezbollah launched 213 rockets toward Israel within just sixteen hours, all from southern Lebanon south of the Litani River. He said the attacks demonstrate systematic violations of UN resolutions and prove that Hezbollah continues to operate freely in areas that were meant to be demilitarized.
Danon accused Hezbollah of firing rockets indiscriminately at Israeli communities while embedding its operations among civilian areas, a tactic he said places both Lebanese and Israeli civilians at risk. He called on the Lebanese government to fulfill its responsibility to restrain Hezbollah and prevent the organization from repeatedly dragging Lebanon into conflict.
He concluded that Israel will continue expanding its defensive measures along the northern border to eliminate terrorist threats and ensure the safety of its citizens.
