By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

A mental health officer in the Israeli army has reportedly leaked a dossier revealing that a new commander in one of the country’s military brigades encouraged his soldiers to commit “genocide” in Lebanon.

The Anadolu news agency, citing Israel’s state broadcaster, reported that in an X post late on Monday, Adi Engert, the Alexandroni Brigade’s mental health officer, sparked uproar by saying that the brigade’s new commander Colonel Moshe Pesel “wishes for the fighters to commit genocide.”

The post was later removed.

A quote from a file that Pesel sent to soldiers said “the villages of Lebanon will become desolate, and its roads impassable,” the report added.

Engert attached the comment to her post, images of which continued to circulate in Israeli media even after its removal.

According to the broadcaster, Engert said that after Pesel took command, he sent a message to the brigade’s soldiers, saying: “A new commander has joined the brigade. To begin with, I wish for the fighters to commit genocide.”

‘Zionism Blasphemed’ – Smotrich

On Tuesday, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich questioned on X why the Israeli army had not taken action against Engert for leaking the document, saying there was “no place” for such statements in the army.

“There is no place for such statements in the IDF (Israeli Military – PC) against a brigade commander and against the members of the religious Zionists who are at the front and risk their lives for the people of Israel in huge percentages. It is good that the IDF marks a red line against the campaign of incitement and demonization towards religious Zionism,” he said.

מברך על ההחלטה להדיח את הנגדת במילואים שגידפה את הציונות הדתית ותקפה את מח״ט אלכסנדרוני.

אין מקום לאמירות כאלה בצה״ל נגד מפקד חטיבה ונגד בני הציונות הדתית שנמצאים בחזית ומחרפים נפשם למען עם ישראל באחוזים אדירים. טוב שצה״ל מסמן קו אדום כנגד מסע ההסתה והדמוניזציה כלפי הציונות… pic.twitter.com/kgS1ja28EZ

— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) August 27, 2024

​​​​​On Sunday, Israeli warplanes launched over 40 airstrikes on southern Lebanon, the most severe attack since cross-border attacks between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah began last October.

The Lebanese group, for its part, said that it had launched hundreds of rockets and missiles deep into Israel as the “first phase” of its response to last month’s assassination of its senior commander Fouad Shukr in an airstrike in Beirut.

Increased Fighting

Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, on October 7, the Lebanese movement Hezbollah has engaged directly, but relatively in a limited way in the war against the Israeli occupation.

In recent weeks, however, the intensity of the fighting has increased, leading to concerns that an all-out war between Hezbollah and the Israeli army is imminent.

Following Hezbollah’s Retaliation: Who Won this Bout? – ANALYSIS

Israel has occupied parts of Lebanon for decades and has only left the country in 2000, following stiff Lebanese resistance under Hezbollah’s leadership.

Israel attempted to re-occupy Lebanon in 2006 but failed in what Lebanon considers a major victory against Israel.

Israel, however, continues to occupy parts of Lebanon, namely the Sheeba Farms region.

Hezbollah has vowed to recover every inch of Lebanon that has been occupied by Israel contrary to international law.

(Anadolu, PC)