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On November 21, Lebanon’s army chief, General Joseph Aoun, urged “full readiness” at the border to face the “threats of the Israeli enemy and its violations.”
قائد الجيش للعسكريين: أدعوكم إلى الجهوزية التامة على الحدود الجنوبية لمواجهة تهديدات العدو الإسرائيلي وخروقاته، وما يبيّته من نيّات عدوانية ضد لبنان وشعبه وجيشه، كما إلى السهر الدائم على حسن تنفيذ القرار 1701 بالتنسيق والتعاون مع قوات الأمم المتحدة في لبنان، حفاظاً على الاستقرار.
— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) 21 November 2017
Additionally, General Aoun called on the troops to stay vigilant for the “good implementation” of UN resolution 1701 to “preserve stability” in the border area.
The “cessation of hostilities” resolution ended the 2006 Lebanese war between Israel and Hezbollah. Since then, the two sides have avoided a major conflict. However, the tensions have remained high.
The army chief’s statement came a day after Lebanese President Michel Aoun appeared to defend Hezbollah as necessary to resist Israel, after an Arab League statement accused the group of terrorism.
“Israeli targeting still continues and it is the right of the Lebanese to resist it and foil its plans by all available means,” the President’s office quoted Aoun as saying.
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