ARAB AND WORLD
Tue 07 Jan 2025 5:06 pm - Jerusalem Time
Mikati directs 3 demands to Israel through the sponsors of the ceasefire
On Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, through the sponsors of the ceasefire agreement, sent a "clear message" to Israel, including 3 demands.
This came in a statement by Mikati during his patronage of the opening of the "Nuhad Al-Saeed Cultural Wing" at the National Museum in Beirut, at the invitation of the Ministry of Culture and the National Heritage Foundation.
Mikati called on "everyone (in Lebanon) to join hands to extinguish all signs of moving sedition and hateful divisions that we follow daily, and the fate of the Lebanese remains that we live together under one roof."
He added: "Today we commemorate an occasion that was postponed since September 18th due to the (recent) Israeli aggression on Lebanon."
He continued: "We look forward to this opening being a sign of a final and comprehensive cessation of aggression and its repercussions, the completion of the army's deployment throughout the south, and the return of all displaced Lebanese to their homes."
Since November 27, a ceasefire has been in place, ending the exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah that began on October 8, 2023, and then turned into a full-scale war on September 23.
Mikati said: "We sent a clear message to the international sponsors of the ceasefire understanding (the United States and France)."
He explained that the message includes "the necessity of stopping the (Israeli) violations, and a complete withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories, and that the commitment to implementing Resolution 1701 is not only Lebanon's responsibility, but is also binding on the Israeli enemy."
Under the pretext of "confronting threats from Hezbollah," the Israeli army committed 395 violations of the ceasefire until Monday afternoon, leaving 32 dead and 39 wounded, according to a tally by Anadolu Agency based on official Lebanese data.
On August 11, 2006, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1701, which called for a complete cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
He also called for the creation of an area between the "Blue Line" (between Lebanon and Israel) and the Litani River in southern Lebanon, free of any armed men, military equipment and weapons, except those belonging to the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Mikati warned against "continuing to violate the ceasefire understanding (by Israel), because it threatens the entire understanding, which is something I don't think anyone wants to happen."
Under the ceasefire agreement, a five-member committee was formed to monitor its implementation, including Lebanon, Israel, the United States, France and UNIFIL.
The most prominent provisions of the agreement include Israel's gradual withdrawal to the south of the Blue Line (the line marking Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000) within 60 days, and the deployment of Lebanese army and security forces along the border, crossing points, and the southern region.
Under the agreement, the Lebanese army will be the only entity allowed to carry weapons in the south of the country, with the dismantling of infrastructure and military sites, and the confiscation of unauthorized weapons.
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Mikati directs 3 demands to Israel through the sponsors of the ceasefire