Lebanese Army Commander-in-Chief Rodolph Haykal in Paris on Dec. 18, 2025. Photo taken from the X account of the chief of staff of the French army.
BEIRUT — Lebanese Army Commander-in-Chief Rodolph Haykal said Thursday that Israeli strikes aim to “sow discord in Lebanon,” during a tour of military positions in the South.
Haykal visited the South Litani Sector Command at the Benoit Barakat barracks in Sour, as well as the 5th Infantry Brigade in the Shawakir area and a military engineering unit at the Qasmieh bridge, the army said in a statement.
He met with officers and soldiers and praised their “perseverance and sacrifices in the face of difficulties,” as well as their commitment to their mission despite what he described as “incitement campaigns” targeting the institution.
“The criminal attacks carried out by the Israeli occupation, most recently the massive and systematic strikes on Wednesday, aim to destabilize Lebanon and sow discord among its population,” Haykal said.
His visit comes a day after large-scale Israeli strikes across Lebanon. The Health Ministry said Wednesday’s attacks killed at least 182 people and wounded 890, bringing the total toll since March 2 to at least 1,739 killed and 5,873 wounded.
Civil Defense reported a higher toll for Wednesday alone, saying at least 256 people were killed.
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