Officials said yesterday that Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi authorized army commanders to immediately respond to violations that might be committed by factions that updated their targets due to signs of imminent US strikes on Iran.
The officials explained in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, “The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces directed the imposition of strict control on border cities, and the pace of field follow-up to be increased, including updated assessments around the clock for any unusual movements.”
The measures included “following the border with Iran from the direction of the city of Sulaymaniyah in the north in Iraqi Kurdistan, and Basra in the south, near the borders with Kuwait and Iran, in addition to deploying forces on the border with Syria.”
Yesterday, Hezbollah opened a political battle with the “Friends of Lebanon,” the day after a joint statement issued by the embassies of the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and Australia, in which it demanded that weapons be restricted to the state, and that there should be no political interference in a judicial process that pursues those involved in a shipment of explosives belonging to the party.
The party’s representative, Ali Ammar, said that the statement “expresses the height of arrogance and insolence, as it blatantly dares to interfere in the most minute details of Lebanese internal affairs, without any regard for Lebanon’s sovereignty, the independence of its judiciary, or diplomatic principles,” accusing the “Friends of Lebanon” of “contributing to fueling divisions and provoking strife.”
Meanwhile, Israel resumed remarkable military activity in southern Lebanon, represented by limited incursions on the outskirts of the “yellow line,” bombings and air strikes in the devastated areas and on its borders, in addition to intense artillery shelling.
Military sources in Tel Aviv admitted that the operation to invade the city of Hebron, which ended at the beginning of the week and lasted 11 days, in which thousands of soldiers from the army and border guards participated, and which cost the Palestinians a heavy price, did not produce any results worthy of such an attack. What I came up with was finding 4 primitive weapons; Homemade pistols. This indicates that the goal of the operation was revenge and collective punishment, even though it is a tried and failed method, and usually causes hostility, hatred, and extremism.
This operation was announced in response to two armed Palestinian youths attacking a military checkpoint near Hebron, which developed into a clash that resulted in the killing of the attackers, as well as the killing of two soldiers, and the wounding of three. When their identities were known, 800,000 Palestinians living in Hebron were besieged and eliminated. 537 homes were raided, and their residents, 3,361 people, were deported, including 1,193 children (including 232 infants), 326 elderly people, 32 disabled people, and 213 people suffering from chronic diseases. Classes were suspended in 589 schools in the governorate, including 262,000 students.
The Israeli occupation forces demolished the two militants' homes, 15 homes, and another facility, claiming that they were built without a permit. 327 stores were closed as a result of the military measures and siege. These forces arrested dozens of Palestinians, most of whom do not know their whereabouts to this day. You don't know their accusation. It confiscated 25 cars that it claims were stolen from Israel.
When citizens returned to their homes, they discovered that they had been subjected to destruction and destruction of furniture, electronic and electrical appliances, and in some homes and stores their contents had been stolen. It seemed that some of the houses that were used as army headquarters were left like a rotten pile. The Palestinian Civil Defense discovered that the walls of the houses had been undermined. Therefore, I warned against entering a number of damaged buildings before ensuring their safety, especially those that were subjected to explosions, due to the possibility of collapsing walls and cracked ceilings.
Returning families face challenges beyond restoring their homes, in light of the damage to their property and the difficulty of securing their basic needs, while the effects of the closure and siege are still present in the daily life of the city.
Although these operations were carried out under the banner of searching for weapons and terrorist bombing materials, the army admitted that it found only 4 primitive local-made pistols.
