Berri supports army, says Israel preventing 'real independence'

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called Thursday on supporting the Lebanese army amid an American and domestic campaign against it.

"We should reward the army, its command, soldiers and officers, not question and target their sacred national role against the Israeli aggression and incite against them," Berri said, adding that Israel "has been and still is an obstacle between the Lebanese people and their real, complete independence."

A scheduled visit of Army chief Rodolphe Haykal to the U.S. was cancelled Tuesday after U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham posted on the X platform that Haykal is "a giant setback for efforts to move Lebanon forward because of a reference to Israel as the enemy and his weak almost non-existent effort to disarm Hezbollah."

Another senator said that Haykal is "shamefully directing blame at Israel" instead of seizing the opportunity to free Lebanon "from Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists".

These posts came after the Lebanese Army condemned Israel's attacks on Lebanon and accused it of violating Lebanon's sovereignty and obstructing the deployment of the army in south Lebanon.

The army was tasked by the government to disarm Hezbollah, under American pressure. The army says it is implementing the plan but that strikes on south Lebanon are obstructing its deployment.

A ceasefire monitoring committee chaired by the U.S. has been reportedly pressuring the army to search private homes in south Lebanon for weapons, a request that the army refused to do.

On Monday, Berri said the ceasefire committee is monitoring and accusing the army instead of condemning Israel's violations.

Israel has kept up its attacks on south and east Lebanon and is occupying five "strategic" hills in the south, despite the ceasefire reached in November last year.