Lebanon urges Israel’s withdrawal from south

“In order for the army to be able to fully accomplish its missions, the committee must… put pressure on the Israeli enemy to bring an end to all the violations” of the ceasefire, Mikati said in the Lebanese border town of Khiam during a tour of the south on Monday.

“It is necessary to put pressure on the parties to the ceasefire agreement, namely the French and the Americans, to accelerate the process before the expiration of the 60-day period.”

Mikati added he wanted to resolve any questions over the Blue Line — the UN-demarcated boundary between Lebanon and the occupied territories — “so there will be no justification for any Israeli occupation of our land.”

The Lebanese premier voiced concern over the daily ceasefire breaches, accusing Israel of “dragging its feet” to pull out of southern Lebanon.

Mikati also in remarks on Wednesday said that Israel was failing to comply with its commitments under the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, citing ongoing daily violations.

The premier emphasized the importance of global pressure on Israel to cease its ongoing violations of the agreement.

The truce agreement between Israel and Lebanon came into effect on the morning of November 27.

As part of the agreement, the Lebanese army and peacekeepers will deploy in southern Lebanon as the Israeli army pulls out over a period of 60 days.

The United States and France are part of the committee tasked with maintaining communication between the parties and ensuring ceasefire violations are identified and dealt with.

The ceasefire stipulates that Israeli forces are to gradually withdraw from south of the Blue Line, a temporary line drawn after the withdrawal of Israel from the country’s territory in 2000, while the Lebanese army is expected to deploy its troops in southern Lebanon within a maximum of 60 days.

Since the ceasefire was implemented, Lebanon has documented dozens of violations, conducting airstrikes, advancing troops, and executing mass demolitions of homes and buildings in the southern region even in areas previously inaccessible during ground operations against Hezbollah.