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E-mail Xinhua, October 1, 2024
BEIRUT, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon is ready to implement UN Resolution 1701 to ease tensions on its southern border with Israel, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Monday.
Mikati, speaking after meeting Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, said Lebanon was willing to deploy its army south of the Litani River in coordination with UN peacekeepers.
The announcement comes in response to international calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Mikati added.
Resolution 1701, passed in 2006, ended a 33-day war between Israel and Hezbollah. It called for a cessation of hostilities, Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, and bolstering the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to monitor the ceasefire alongside the Lebanese army.
The resolution established a demilitarized zone between the Lebanon-Israel border and the Litani River, permitting only the Lebanese army and UNIFIL forces to bear arms in the area. Israel has accused Hezbollah of violating the resolution and deploying troops south of the Litani River.
On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant suggested the Israeli military was preparing for a ground offensive to remove Hezbollah from the border area.
Since Sept. 23, Israel has intensified airstrikes across Lebanon, culminating in a significant strike on Friday in the southern suburbs of Beirut that reportedly killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and many of his associates.
This escalation has intensified ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, which began on Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, prompting retaliatory Israeli artillery fire and airstrikes in southeastern Lebanon.
A new policy brief released Monday by several UN agencies highlights the devastating impact of recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon's economy. Poverty rates are projected to soar to 94 percent in Nabatieh Governorate and 87 percent in South Governorate, both areas severely affected by the destruction.
The brief emphasizes that "ending the conflict and addressing its root causes is crucial for the well-being of the people in the region and the stability of the entire area." Enditem
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