NNA – General Abbas Ibrahim mourned on his official page on the quot;Xquot; platform the former commander of UNIFIL in Lebanon, the Italian General Claudio Graziano, who passed away yesterday at his home in Rome. He was the first UNIFIL commander after the July 2006 war, serving between 2007 and 2010.
General Ibrahim wrote:
quot;rdquo;rdquo;Claudio, as you preferred to be called, I never imagined the day would come when I bid farewell to you in such a painful manner. Today, I recall those days following your arrival in southern Lebanon to implement Resolution 1701 after the Israeli aggression in the July 2006 war. I vividly remember how you explained to me the social and political dynamics of the region while I was the head of the southern intelligence branch, and how often I found myself agreeing with your insights.
I remember how we faced challenges together and diligently worked to implement that resolution, of which you were the first to oversee. Yet, after 18 years, the enemy continues to violate it daily without hesitation since its inception, and you witnessed it firsthand.
My friend, after completing your mission in southern Lebanon, our friendship continued, just as Lebanon remained deeply engraved in your heart. You lived passionately with the idea of achieving peace, considering the resolution of the Palestinian issue as key to that peacemdash;a solution Israel still refuses to consider.
Today, we bid you farewell after you refused to persist in an era of deceit, where falsehood prevails over truth. Rest in peace, knowing that the Lebanon you loved and that loved you will remain well, and the sun of peace we seek will shine in a world free from occupying entities and occupying states that oppress peoples and seize their lands and will.
As Lebanon does not forget its friends, you remain in its conscience.
Condolences to your family, loved ones, the leadership of UNIFIL forces, and the Italian government.quot;
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