Beirut, April 30: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday called for strengthening the role of the committee overseeing the ceasefire mechanism in southern Lebanon, urging continued international pressure on Israel to halt its violations, withdraw from occupied territories, and release Lebanese detainees.
His remarks came during a meeting with US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson, outgoing head of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, US Major General Jasper Jeffers, and incoming committee head Major General Michael Leeney, who officially assumed his duties on Wednesday.
According to a statement released by Lebanon’s presidency, Aoun emphasised that “the Lebanese army is fully carrying out its duties in the south, particularly south of the Litani River, where it continues to confiscate weapons and ammunition and dismantle armed groups.”
He cited Israel’s occupation of five strategic hills and ongoing violations as “the main obstacle to completing the army’s deployment.” Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also met with the delegation, affirming that the Lebanese army “continues to expand its deployment to fully assert control over all Lebanese territory.”
A statement released by the National News Agency (NNA) noted that Salam stressed the “need for Israel to cease its violations of the agreement and halt its attacks on various regions,” Xinhua news agency reported. Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri also met with the US delegation, warning that “Israel’s ongoing daily violations and aggressions undermine Lebanon’s path toward recovery, stability, reform, and sovereignty,” calling on the United States to “exert pressure on Israel to immediately implement the agreement aimed at enforcing UN Resolution 1701.”
For his part, Leeney affirmed that “the committee will begin holding regular meetings to monitor the situation closely.” Despite the US- and French-brokered ceasefire effective since November 27, 2024, Israeli forces have periodically carried out strikes inside Lebanon, ranging from machine gun fire and artillery shelling to air raids, some of which have resulted in casualties, according to official Lebanese reports.
Although the agreement stipulated the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, Israel has maintained a presence on five hilltops along the Lebanese border. Meanwhile, UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza called for immediate international support to address the devastating aftermath of the conflict in southern Lebanon, according to a statement released by the United Nations Information Center on Wednesday.
Riza made the remarks following his recent visit to Lebanon’s southern Bint Jbeil and Tyre districts. He highlighted the severe destruction of villages, health facilities, and essential infrastructure, and emphasised the urgent need for sustained humanitarian aid to restore critical services and support the region’s path to recovery, according to the statement. He also underscored the importance of addressing the deep psychological scars left by the conflict, particularly for children and families.
IANS