Lebanon Govt Bans Hezbollah's Military Activities As Israel Retaliates After Attacks

AFP

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

The government in Lebanon has banned all military and security activities of Hezbollah after Israel's airstrikes on southern Beirut in response to the Iran-backed militant group's rocket and drone attacks.

“We announce a ban on Hezbollah’s military activities and restrict its role to the political sphere,” Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in a statement.

“We declare our rejection of any military or security operations launched from Lebanese territory outside the framework of legitimate institutions,” he added.

The prime minister said all Hezbollah activities were “illegal” and called upon the security forces to “prevent any attacks originating from Lebanese territory”.

“We declare our commitment to the cessation of hostilities and the resumption of negotiations,” he added.

The Iran-allied Lebanese armed group said earlier on Monday that its attack was in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “in defence of Lebanon and its people” and “in response to the repeated Israeli aggressions”.

Israel responded by bombing Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, and killing more than 30 people and injuring 149, according to the state-run National News Agency.



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