The “Association of Muslim Scholars” issued a statement by its central council after its regular meeting, in which it pointed to the continuation of the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, explaining that they include direct bombing of civilians and the destruction of homes, especially in the border areas, in addition to launching raids on buildings under the pretext of the presence of weapons, despite the Lebanese army’s assurances that they do not exist.
The statement explained that Israel sprayed unknown chemical substances on the lands of southern Lebanon, believed to contain white phosphorus, which raised fears of a massacre and environmental genocide that would wipe out every living thing, as part of a plan aimed at destroying vegetation and forests in the region.
The group stressed that these actions require action that goes beyond mere statements of condemnation and denunciation, calling on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to submit complaints to the relevant international bodies, most notably the call to hold an emergency session of the Security Council to discuss all attacks, the latest of which is this attack. He added that if Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji does not act, then Prime Minister Nawaf Salam must demand that he submit the complaint. Otherwise, the constitutional powers of the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, authorize him to demand that the government carry out this task.
The statement indicated that Israel fired artillery shells on the outskirts of the town of Labouneh, carried out sweeping operations with machine guns from the Bayad Blida site towards the outskirts of the town, and dropped a sound bomb on the town of Al-Dhahira. He also pointed out that Israeli drones are constantly flying in Lebanese airspace, from the south to Beirut, on missions that have become routine, in light of what he described as a violation of Lebanese airspace.
The statement stated that these attacks occur in the absence of a strong response, and the absence of a ceasefire oversight committee, considering that the mechanism works for the benefit of Israel and covers its attacks, while focusing on pursuing the resistance and its weapons and harnessing the Lebanese army to this mission. He believed that the solution lies in stopping cooperation with the two committees, and not returning to negotiations until after the complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories in southern Lebanon, stopping the air violations and daily attacks, and returning the prisoners.
The group denounced the spraying of unknown chemical substances on the lands of southern Lebanon, considering this a threat to plant and forest wealth, and a threat of environmental annihilation, especially in light of information from experts indicating that these substances contain white phosphorus, which leads to the destruction of vegetation.
He also denounced the firing of artillery shells on the outskirts of the town of Labouneh, the sweeping operations from the Bayad Blida site towards the outskirts of Blida, and the throwing of a bomb on the town of Dhahira, all in light of the silence of the concerned authorities.
The gathering also condemned the Israeli forces allowing groups of settlers to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque, allowing them to perform Talmudic rituals in front of the Rock Mosque, providing them with protection, and preventing the Al-Murabitun from confronting these practices, which it described as insulting to the holy places.
He also denounced the incursion of an Israeli force consisting of ten military vehicles into the village of Sayd al-Hanout in the southern countryside of Quneitra, and the establishment of two separate patrols and temporary checkpoints that prevented the passage of civilians, in violation of Syrian national sovereignty.
