Lebanese Army Commander in Pakistan Amidst Bloody Field Escalation in the South

The Commander of the Lebanese Army, General Rudolph Heikal, departed from the capital Beirut today, Saturday, heading to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on an official visit. This step comes in response to an invitation from his Pakistani counterpart, Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff and Commander of Defense Forces, at a time when the region is witnessing intense diplomatic activity to end the ongoing conflict.

The official statement issued by the Army Command did not disclose the specific duration of the visit or its detailed agenda. However, observers link this move to the mediation efforts led by Islamabad between Washington and Tehran, which aim to reinforce the de-escalation path that began in mid-April.

On the ground, sadness overshadowed the Lebanese military institution following the martyrdom of two officers, a brigadier general and a captain, in addition to a soldier, as a result of a direct Israeli attack. Occupation forces targeted a military vehicle traveling on the Kafrtibnit - Al-Khardali road in the Nabatieh region, completely destroying it and killing those on board.

These developments coincide with sharp political statements, as Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called on the Iranian side to stop using the Lebanese arena as a bargaining chip. Salam stressed during a press conference the necessity of independent Lebanese decision-making, away from the calculations of Iranian negotiations with the United States of America.

For its part, the Israeli occupation army announced the execution of a series of extensive raids targeting about 150 sites it described as military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah. Media reports quoted Israeli military sources confirming the continuation of offensive operations in southern Lebanon, denying receiving any orders for a ceasefire at the present time.

In the city of Tyre, the airstrikes resulted in the martyrdom of a nurse working at Hiram Hospital, following a direct targeting of a public road in the town of Abbasiyah. The attacks also affected the town of Zibdin, where local sources reported the martyrdom of a Lebanese citizen as a result of the intense shelling the town was subjected to in recent hours.

The wave of aerial escalation included the towns of Western and Eastern Zawtar, Mayfadoun, Haboush, in addition to Kafr Rumman and Nabatieh Al-Fawqa. Field sources reported that hostile warplanes carried out intensive raids between the areas of Blat and Al-Ahmadiyah, coinciding with shelling targeting the town of Haris in the Bint Jbeil district.

The aggression was not limited to aerial bombardment, but occupation forces carried out ground operations that included the demolition and explosion of residential homes in the towns of Al-Tiri and Qunain. Sources confirmed that the targeted homes were uninhabited, but the explosions caused widespread destruction in the surrounding residential areas.

On the humanitarian front, the Lebanese Ministry of Health revealed alarming statistics for the victims of the ongoing aggression since early March. According to the official report, the total death toll has risen to 3,593 martyrs, while the number of injured has exceeded 10,990, amidst a severe deterioration in the health sector.

These developments come just days after the reaching of what was described as a 'declaration of intent' between Beirut and Tel Aviv under international auspices for a ceasefire. Despite this declaration, the situation on the ground indicates an unprecedented escalation that threatens the collapse of all initial diplomatic understandings reached recently.

We continue to destroy infrastructure in southern Lebanon, and we have not received any instructions to stop doing so.