Khalil: Israel is carrying out levels of destruction in 39 villages in south Lebanon

BEIRUT — Amal Movement MP Ali Hassan Khalil said Monday that Israeli forces have carried out varying degrees of destruction in 39 villages in southern Lebanon since the cease-fire with Hezbollah last week.

Israel’s ongoing destruction of civilian homes in south Lebanon is a “clear war crime,” Khalil told Reuters, warning against any negotiations with Israel “at the expense of Lebanese sovereignty.”

He said Israel is systematically demolishing neighborhoods and homes as it seeks to establish a “buffer zone” along the border.

Earlier Monday, speaking from Sarafand in the Saida district, Khalil said the commitments Lebanon made under the cease-fire represent “a flagrant violation of the most basic rules of negotiation and national interest.”

He said that if Lebanese officials validate such commitments, “which we hope is not the case,” it would raise “deep concerns about how major political issues are being handled in the country.”

“There can be no question of negotiating at the expense of sovereignty,” he said, adding that his party, allied with Hezbollah, will not allow “the sacrifices made to become a bargaining chip, regardless of the reasons.”

Khalil also said Israel was violating the truce daily “to impose a new reality on the ground, disregarding all the guarantees mentioned.”

He rejected “any formula” that ignores what he described as the role of regional actors and “the sacrifices of fighters and civilians” in securing the cease-fire. Israeli attacks and clashes in south Lebanon have killed several Amal Movement members throughout the war.

Referring to direct negotiations with Israel, Khalil said he does not oppose “diplomatic action” but firmly rejects direct talks, arguing they “grant the enemy legitimacy in exercising its aggression.”