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Asharq Al-Awsat
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Washington Links Israeli Withdrawal from Southern Lebanon to Hezbollah's Disarmament
Concerns are growing in Lebanon after the United States' reluctance to step in, either directly or through the International Monitoring Committee overseeing the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement, and prevent Israel from further escalating its strikes in the country. On Thursday, the Israeli military struck several buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs that it said held underground facilities used by Hezbollah for drone production. The strikes, preceded by an Israeli warning to evacuate several buildings, came on the eve of Eid al-Adha. What aggravated the Lebanese concerns was Israel's prior notification to the United States of its plan to target these buildings, which were later found not to be used by Hezbollah for manufacturing drones. According to official Lebanese sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, they said that Washington acknowledged that the buildings were not used by Hezbollah and directed blame at Tel Aviv citing that Israel's justifications were unfounded. But the US criticism of Tel Aviv is unlikely to deter the latter from carrying out further aggression against Lebanon, amid the failure of the monitoring committee to address Israel's violations. Washington blaming Israel will not change the reality on the ground as long as it enjoys a US cover that allows it to maintain pressure on Lebanon to set a timeline for Hezbollah's disarmament linked to its own withdrawal from the south. But Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have reiterated commitment to limiting weapons to the state's control and urged the international community to pressure Israel into withdrawing from southern Lebanon. Ministerial sources said that President Aoun stands firm in his position and is in ongoing communication with Hezbollah leadership paving way for dialogue aimed at ensuring the state's exclusive control over arms once conditions are ripe for implementation. The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah has no choice but to engage in serious dialogue, which is not intended as a stalling tactic while awaiting the outcome of US-Iranian negotiations on the nuclear file. They also assure that Lebanon is committed to the continued presence of the monitoring committee overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire. They point out that the upcoming dialogue with Hezbollah on securing the state's exclusive control over weapons is a cornerstone of Lebanon's national security strategy. The sources question the absence of the US engagement in Lebanon mainly regarding the military developments and Israel's escalation. They highlight that Lebanon is witnessing one of its darkest times compounded by Washington's dismissal of Morgan Ortagus, the deputy special envoy for the Middle East, from handling the Lebanese file. This move has left US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson, and the entire Lebanese state, in a state of uncertainty, as Washington is reportedly considering sending Ambassador Thomas Barrett, although no official date has been announced for his arrival in Beirut. Barrett is currently the US envoy to Türkiye and recently appointed by President Donald Trump as special envoy to Syria. On the other hand, political sources interpret the current absence of the US role, and Israel's unrestricted freedom to act against Hezbollah's remaining military capabilities, as a deliberate strategy it uses to safeguard its borders. It also links withdrawal from south Lebanon to a timeline for containing Hezbollah's weapons and limiting it to the state's control. The White House endorses the principle of linking Israel's withdrawal to Hezbollah's disarmament as 'it was crafted in the United States', according to MPs who frequently visit Washington. Lebanon has no choice but to adhere to that, viewing it as a mandatory passage to bring a political end to the Iranian interference in the region with the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, and to enter a new political phase for the Mediterranean country.
Jordan News
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Jordan News
Lebanese President Concerned About Israel Not Completing Its Withdrawal on Tuesday - Jordan News
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed concerns on Monday about Israel potentially failing to complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon on Tuesday, as stipulated by the ceasefire agreement. اضافة اعلان Aoun's comments came during a meeting with a delegation from the Lebanese Press Syndicate, led by President Joseph Kossaifi, at the Presidential Palace, as reported by Aoun's media office. On Wednesday, Israel for the second time declared its failure to meet the deadline for withdrawing from southern Lebanon, announcing that its forces would remain in the occupied areas beyond February 18. According to the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli military was supposed to complete its withdrawal by the morning of January 26, 2025, from the areas it occupied in southern Lebanon. This withdrawal was part of a 60-day deadline starting from November 27, 2024, when the ceasefire agreement came into effect. President Aoun remarked, "The enemy (Israel) cannot be trusted, and we are concerned about the failure to achieve a complete withdrawal tomorrow." Israel has not set a new date for completing its withdrawal from southern Lebanon. However, the official Israeli broadcasting authority reported that Israel has requested the International Monitoring Committee to extend the presence of its forces until February 28, which would add an extra 10 days. Beirut, however, rejected this extension request. This committee consists of Lebanon, Israel, the United States, France, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Aoun added that Lebanon's response, if Israel fails to withdraw, would be "a unified and collective national stance," without further details. He continued, "The option of war is not useful, and we will work through diplomatic means because Lebanon can no longer bear a new war. The military is ready to deploy in the villages and towns from which Israeli forces will withdraw." He also emphasized, "It is important to achieve Israel's withdrawal, and Hezbollah's weaponry falls under solutions that the Lebanese people can agree upon." No Fear of Sectarian Strife Regarding internal affairs, Aoun expressed no fear of sectarian strife or division within the military ranks. He added, "The martyrs of the army, who fell during the Israeli aggression, belong to all sects and regions of Lebanon, and the army's mission is sacred, so rest assured about that." Israel's aggression against Lebanon began on October 8, 2023, escalating into a full-scale war on September 23, 2024, resulting in 4,104 deaths, 16,890 injuries (including a large number of children and women), and the displacement of around 1.4 million people. Regarding the post-aggression reconstruction, Aoun stated that it is "contingent on reforms, and no external assistance will be provided without reform. The reconstruction process will cover all areas that were destroyed, and we welcome any assistance to remove the war's effects." Syrian Refugees Issue Regarding Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Aoun mentioned that a committee would be formed to address the issue of refugees in coordination with Syrian authorities. Ongoing communication is taking place via the General Security apparatus to address the issue of detained Syrians in Lebanon and expedite solutions inside prisons. Meeting with the Quintet On Monday morning, President Aoun met with the Quintet Committee, which includes the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, the United States, and France. Egypt's ambassador to Beirut, Alaa Moussa, stated in a press conference following the meeting that the Quintet continues to support Lebanon in its current phase and is committed to standing by the Lebanese state. Moussa added that discussions with Aoun included the full Israeli withdrawal, with the five countries committed to urging Israel to withdraw as per the scheduled timeline. The Quintet is maintaining communications with all parties to ensure this happens. Moussa also confirmed the Quintet's commitment to the reconstruction file, which will be entirely overseen by the Lebanese state. Aoun, for his part, reiterated that he is following up on communications at all levels to "push Israel to adhere to the agreement and withdraw on time, and return the prisoners. The agreement's sponsors must take responsibility in assisting us." Since the agreement's implementation, Israel has committed at least 925 violations in Lebanon, causing at least 74 deaths and 265 injuries, according to official Lebanese data. For decades, Israel has occupied land in Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria, refusing to withdraw and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the borders before the 1967 war.
