Lebanese soldiers parading in Beirut on November 22, 2019, during the Independence Day celebrations. (Credit: AFP archives)
Since the start of the war in Lebanon, 22 Lebanese soldiers have been killed by Israel: 12 while stationed in southern Lebanon and 10 others in their homes targeted by Israeli bombings.This heavy toll comes despite the Lebanese Army’s non-engagement in the conflict. Lacking a mandate from the political authorities to join a war that Lebanon’s government has not endorsed, the troops are limited to evacuating the wounded and managing the influx of displaced people.With each strike on the Lebanese armed forces, the Israeli military rushes to offer ‘apologies,’ citing “mistakes”— a rationale that military experts find unpersuasive. Analysts are convinced that the true aim is to push the Lebanese Army away from the border zone. Read more Israeli ground offensive: What is the Lebanese Army’s role? ‘We are defending our land, that’s all’At...
Since the start of the war in Lebanon, 22 Lebanese soldiers have been killed by Israel: 12 while stationed in southern Lebanon and 10 others in their homes targeted by Israeli bombings.This heavy toll comes despite the Lebanese Army’s non-engagement in the conflict. Lacking a mandate from the political authorities to join a war that Lebanon’s government has not endorsed, the troops are limited to evacuating the wounded and managing the influx of displaced people.With each strike on the Lebanese armed forces, the Israeli military rushes to offer ‘apologies,’ citing “mistakes”— a rationale that military experts find unpersuasive. Analysts are convinced that the true aim is to push the Lebanese Army away from the border zone. Read more Israeli ground offensive: What is the Lebanese Army’s role? ‘We are defending our...