Lebanon’s Aoun: IDF bridge strikes mark ‘dangerous escalation,’ signal unwanted ground invasion

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemns Israel’s strikes targeting bridges over the Litani River in southern Lebanon as “a dangerous escalation,” saying they are a prelude to a “ground invasion” that Beirut has repeatedly cautioned against.

“These attacks constitute a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty. They are considered a prelude to a ground invasion — something Lebanon has repeatedly warned against through diplomatic channels,” Aoun says, according to an Arabic-language post on his office’s X account.

The remarks come shortly after the IDF struck the Qasmiya Bridge on the Litani River, having warned it would do so to prevent the terror group Hezbollah from moving operatives and weapons into southern Lebanon. It was the fifth bridge hit in the area amid renewed fighting with the Iran-backed terror group during the ongoing war with Iran.

“The targeting of the bridges over the Litani River — a vital artery for civilian movement — constitutes an attempt to sever the geographic connection between the area south of the Litani and the rest of Lebanese territory, and obstructs the delivery of humanitarian aid,” Aoun continues, saying it represents the pursuit of “Israeli expansion into Lebanese territory.”

Beirut “calls on the international community — particularly the United Nations and members of the Security Council — to assume their responsibilities and take immediate measures to deter Israel from carrying out this attack,” the president adds.