The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit on Thursday took to Twitter to wish the residents of Lebanon a Happy Independence Day.
The message also included an expression of hope that the Lebanese people will be free of the influence of Iran and Hezbollah in their country.
“Happy Independence Day to the people of Lebanon, our neighbors to the north! We hope you will soon be free of Iranian imperialism and Hezbollah’s terrorism in your country,” read the tweet.
The Hezbollah terrorist group, which is the Iranian proxy in Lebanon, has a strong presence both militarily and politically. Hezbollah its allies gained more than half the seats of the 128-member Lebanese parliament in the elections held in the country last May.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, despite being backed by Saudi Arabia which is Iran’s regional rival, included Hezbollah in his last cabinet.
Hariri has been tasked with forming the next coalition as well, but the country remains at a political deadlock amid disagreements between Hariri and Hezbollah parliamentarians.
In 2013, the European Union blacklisted Hezbollah's “military wing” as a terrorist organization, while failing to blacklist the group’s political arm.
Members of Congress in the United States have urged the EU to designate all branches of Hezbollah as a terror group, after several Hezbollah parliamentarians in Lebanon were caught on camera calling for terror against Israelis.