ALBAWABA - An Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commander warned Israel on Thursday to "voluntarily" withdraw from southern Lebanon.
Iranian state media, quoting Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, reported that Israel must voluntarily withdraw from all Lebanese territory or be forced to flee in defeat.
The Iranian commander said, "If you do not withdraw of your own accord today, tomorrow you will be forced to flee in humiliation and defeat."
“This land is a field of steadfastness and resistance, not a playground for occupiers," he added.
Senior Israeli and Lebanese officials denied on Thursday any Israeli withdrawal from occupied southern Lebanon, after a U.S. official said Israel had withdrawn some of its forces from the area as a goodwill gesture toward the Lebanese government.
Head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Qods Force Esmail Qaani (C) gestures during the funeral ceremony for slain Guards commander Abbas Nilforoushan in Tehran on October 15, 2024. Photo by - / AFP
Earlier, an American official told Reuters that the Israeli Army had withdrawn from some of the areas in Lebanon, according to a Reuters report on Thursday, adding that the Israeli troops' pulling from some areas is a good-faith gesture toward Lebanon's government and a step toward peace.
However, senior Israeli and Lebanese officials denied statements made by the United States regarding any withdrawal from occupied southern Lebanon.
"Israel has already taken a concrete step by pulling back from a part of its buffer zone. This is a significant demonstration of good faith toward Lebanon’s legitimate government," the State Department official said.
