TEHRAN – Lebanon’s army has warned Israel against staging a new war on thecountry, vowing that it will use every available means to deter such an actof aggression.link>
“I affirm again our categorical rejection of the Israeli enemy infringingon Lebanon’s sovereignty and its sacred right to exploit all its economicresources,” Lebanese army chief General Joseph Aoun said on Twitter onTuesday.
“The army will not spare any method available to confront any Israeliaggression, whatever that costs,” he wrote.
Earlier this month, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said he had ordered thecountry’s armed forces to confront any attempt by Israel to undermineLebanon’s sovereignty, Press TV reported.
The two sides have nearly come to blows over a tender by Lebanon inDecember for oil and gas exploration projects in two of the country’s 10offshore blocks in the Mediterranean Sea, namely Block 4 and Block 9.
The move angered Israel which claims sovereignty over the ninth block.
The Tel Aviv regime has also escalated the tensions by announcing plans fora wall to isolate the occupied Palestinian lands from Lebanese territories.
Lebanon has objected to Israel’s plan, saying the wall violates itssovereignty by passing through territory that belongs to the country but islocated on the other side of a UN-designated Blue Line, which sets thelimits for Israel’s 2000 withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Tel Aviv says the construction will go ahead as planned.
The Israeli regime has waged three wars on Lebanon — in 1982, 2000, and2006. It has also carried out assassinations in Lebanese territory.
Since its establishment in 1985, the Hezbollah resistance group has helpedthe army defend Lebanon against Israel’s 2000 and 2006 wars.
The resistance movement warned Israel against the “grave consequences” ofthe regime’s next war, vowing to defend the rights of Lebanon in oil andgas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean region against any new Israeliaggression.