News - Yemen: Yemen's President Mahdi al-Mashat sent a congratulatory message to Lebanon—its government, people, army, and resistance—on the 18th anniversary of the historic victory in the 2006 war, affirming Yemen's solidarity with Lebanon in the face of the Zionist threat.

"The historic victory achieved by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon in 2006 remains a beacon for all liberation movements," Al-Mashat said. "The bitterness of defeat experienced by the Israeli enemy during that conflict is evident in the current confrontation, as Israel submits to the equations of power and is unable to expand the scope of the war, knowing that the Islamic Resistance today is stronger than it was in the past."

While saluting the heroism and immense sacrifices of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, as well as all forces participating in the battle to support Gaza, President al-Mashat reaffirmed Yemen's commitment to standing by Lebanon in the face of the Israeli threat.

Eighteen years ago, Israel launched a full-scale military offensive against Lebanon, but Hezbollah fighters defeated the regime’s military and forced it to embarrassingly retreat without achieving any of Tel Aviv’s objectives.

The war started on July 12, 2006, and continued until a UN-mediated ceasefire went into effect in the morning of August 14, 2006, though it formally ended on September 8, 2006, when the Israeli regime was forced to remove its naval blockade against Lebanon.

The Israeli army launched airstrikes against Lebanese cities as well as Hezbollah positions, resulting in the demolition of thousands of homes and the deaths of over 1,000 Lebanese civilians.

At least 162 Israelis, including 119 soldiers, were also killed during the fighting. As Tel Aviv realized that it could not bomb Hezbollah into submission, it accepted UN Resolution 1701 to end the war.