Tehran, Iran – Web Desk: The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, Brigadier General Esmaeil Qa’ani, has issued a stark warning to Israeli forces occupying southern Lebanon, giving them a choice between withdrawing voluntarily or being forced out in humiliation .
In a social media post directed at what he called “Zionist aggressor and terrorist soldiers,” Qa’ani invoked the memory of Israel’s 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon .
“If you do not withdraw from southern Lebanon on your own feet, the epic of the year 2000 will be repeated once again, the same year you fled this land in disgrace,” Qaani wrote on Sunday, adding that if Israel persists in aggression and occupation, “you will be kicked out in humiliation and defeat. The choice is yours” .
The IRGC commander cited recent battlefield losses, writing that “in less than four days, you have suffered 100 casualties” .
The warning came as Israeli forces continued military operations in Lebanon despite a US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed last week that stipulated an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon . The Beirut government and Lebanon’s health ministry have reported that at least 4,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in March .
Hezbollah has responded forcefully to Israeli attacks, with the group’s leader Naim Qassem vowing that Israel “will not stay” in Lebanon and that the group would respond to any violation from the Israeli side .
The Lebanese holiday of Liberation Day is celebrated annually on May 25, commemorating the end of Israel’s 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000 .
