Aoun confirms negotiation is not surrender, Hezbollah announces targeting Israeli warship

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed that the negotiation process aimed at stopping Israeli aggression does not represent surrender or a concession of national rights, indicating that the state is moving diplomatically with international powers to stop what he described as Israeli madness. Aoun explained in a speech on the occasion of Easter that there are parties seeking to drag the country into the abyss of war and sedition, emphasizing the necessity of national awareness at this delicate stage.\n\nThe Lebanese President considered civil peace a red line, warning that any attempt to stir up sectarian strife directly serves the interests of the Israeli occupation. He pointed out that freedom of expression must be disciplined under the ceiling of national security, describing some current behaviors as social savagery that threatens the stability of Lebanese society, which is weary of repeated wars.\n\nAoun strongly defended the role of the military establishment in protecting the country, expressing regret for the attacks targeting the Lebanese army by some parties. He affirmed that the army carries out its national duties away from political agendas, stressing that without the sacrifices of the military personnel, citizens would not have been able to stay in their homes under the current security conditions.\n\nOn the ground, Hezbollah announced the execution of a qualitative operation targeting an Israeli military warship off the Lebanese coast, the first time it has announced targeting naval vessels since the current escalation began. The party explained in an official statement that the operation was carried out using a naval cruise missile, targeting the warship 68 nautical miles away while it was preparing to carry out attacks on Lebanese territory.\n\nIn the context of the aerial escalation, Israeli aircraft launched intense raids targeting the town of Kfarhatta in southern Lebanon, resulting in one martyr, several injured, and widespread property damage. The town had been subjected to a series of intense night attacks following forced evacuation orders issued by the occupation army, leading to the martyrdom of a displaced family who had sought refuge in the town to escape the shelling.\n\nIsraeli raids also targeted the town of Siddiqin in the Tyre district, where medical and local sources reported three martyrs and several injured as a result of direct targeting of residential areas. This coincided with another raid targeting the town of Zrarieh, as part of a wide aerial campaign that included various areas of southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.\n\nRegarding ground operations, occupation forces carried out systematic demolition and bombing operations of homes in several border villages, including Naqoura, Debel, Alma al-Shaab, Qawzah, Bayada, and Shamaa. Field sources stated that the occupation burned and destroyed commercial shops, and used bulldozers and heavy machinery to demolish a hotel near the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura.\n\nIn a significant development, the Israeli army threatened to target the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, claiming it was used to transport combat means and weapons. This threat led to the evacuation of the General Security headquarters at the crossing and a complete halt to its operations, further tightening the noose on movement and vital supplies to Lebanon.\n\nThese developments come at a time when the occupation army has issued new evacuation warnings to residents of seven neighborhoods in the southern suburbs of Beirut, signaling a new wave of intense shelling on the area. The Lebanese capital is experiencing a state of anticipation and anxiety with the continued intensive overflight of warplanes and drones over various Lebanese regions.\n\nField reports indicate that the "scorched earth" policy pursued by the occupation in border villages aims to create a buffer zone devoid of residents and urban landmarks. Ambulance and civil defense teams continue their attempts to reach the targeted areas to retrieve victims, despite the significant difficulties resulting from continuous shelling and targeting of main roads.\n\nInternationally, warnings continue about the region sliding into a comprehensive war, with Washington calling on its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately as military operations escalate. In contrast, the Lebanese government insists on adhering to diplomatic paths and Resolution 1701 as a framework for a solution, despite continuous Israeli intransigence and the expansion of targeting to include civilians and infrastructure.\n\nNegotiating with Israel is not surrender or concession, and civil peace in Lebanon is a red line that cannot be crossed.