‘Leave Lebanon or Flee in Defeat’: Qaani Warns Israel as Withdrawal Pressure Mounts
Share
Post
Pin
Email
Share
Iran’s Quds Force commander warned Israel to leave Lebanon as diplomatic efforts increasingly center on securing a full Israeli withdrawal.
Key Developments
- Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani warned Israel it would eventually be forced to leave Lebanon.
- His remarks come amid growing diplomatic efforts to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
- A Lebanese military source denied reports that Israeli forces have withdrawn from occupied areas.
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz recently vowed troops would remain despite US pressure.
- A day earlier, an Israeli soldier was killed during operational activity in southern Lebanon.
Iran’s Quds Force commander Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani warned Thursday that Israel would ultimately be forced to withdraw from Lebanon, framing the continued Israeli military presence in the country’s south as unsustainable despite recent declarations by Israeli leaders that troops will remain.
The warning comes as diplomatic negotiations following the US-Iran memorandum of understanding increasingly focus on securing a permanent Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, even as Israeli officials continue to reject calls to leave occupied territory.
‘You Will Be Forced to Flee’
Addressing Israelis directly, Qaani declared that all Israeli forces must leave Lebanese territory.
“The Zionists must leave all of Lebanon because this land is the arena of steadfastness and resistance,” he said.
He warned that continued occupation would eventually end in defeat.
“If you do not withdraw from Lebanon today of your own free will, tomorrow you will be forced to flee in shame and humiliating defeat.”
Recalling Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, Qaani invoked former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s famous speech in Bint Jbeil.
“Do not forget the year 2000 and the historic promise of the martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in Bint Jbeil.”
“The promise is still alive, and the scene will be repeated.”
Focus on Lebanon
Qaani’s remarks come only days after senior Iranian officials announced that the Switzerland negotiations with the United States had produced mechanisms specifically addressing Lebanon.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said negotiators reached understandings with Washington on safeguarding Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
According to Ghalibaf, the sides agreed to establish a coordination center designed to facilitate the return of displaced Lebanese civilians and oversee the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei later confirmed that negotiators also agreed to establish a new “Conflict Resolution Cell” tasked with monitoring implementation of the Lebanon ceasefire and helping prevent renewed hostilities.
Qatar, one of the mediators alongside Pakistan, has described ending the war in Lebanon as one of the principal objectives of the broader diplomatic process.
Withdrawal Claims
Despite growing diplomatic momentum, Lebanese military officials denied reports Thursday that Israeli forces had already withdrawn from recently occupied areas.
A senior Lebanese military source said reports claiming Israeli troops had left what was described as a “buffer zone” were inaccurate.
The source stressed that Israeli forces remain deployed inside Lebanese territory captured during recent military operations.
The official also addressed criticism surrounding the Lebanese military delegation that recently participated in negotiations in Washington.
According to the source, criticism that the delegation refused—or should have refused—to participate in certain protocol arrangements with the Israeli delegation misunderstood the mission assigned to Lebanese negotiators.
“The success of any negotiations is measured by the results achieved for Lebanon, not by commemorative photographs or protocol appearances,” the source said.
He added that the blood of Lebanese soldiers killed during Israeli attacks “has not yet dried,” making it essential to respect public sentiment while pursuing negotiations that serve Lebanon’s national interests.
Widening Gap
The statements come only one day after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed that Israeli forces would not withdraw from occupied areas in southern Lebanon “even if the United States demands withdrawal.”
His comments underscored the widening gap between Israel’s public position and the diplomatic understandings emerging from the US-Iran negotiations, where Lebanese sovereignty has become a central issue.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah echoed that position, arguing that no final agreement backed by Washington could succeed without a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
According to Fadlallah, the emerging regional understanding rests on “the strength of the battlefield” alongside diplomatic negotiations.
Fighting Continues
The political exchanges came as Israel confirmed that one of its soldiers was killed during ‘operational activity’ in southern Lebanon.
The military identified the soldier as Master Sgt. (res.) Basil Sweid, 32, who died when a military fuel truck overturned during operations. Another soldier sustained moderate injuries.
Israel continues to occupy areas of southern Lebanon, including territory held for decades as well as land seized during the latest war.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israel’s offensive since March 2 has killed more than 4,000 people, wounded over 12,000 and displaced more than one million residents.
(Iranian Media, Al Mayadeen, AA, PC)
