Lebanon says ready to implement UN Resolution 1701, deploy army south of Litani River

Lebanon is ready to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which involves deploying the Lebanese army south of the Litani River, caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, said on Monday, Anadolu Agency reports.

“We affirm our agreement and pledge to implement the ceasefire immediately with Israel,” Mikati said following a meeting with Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri, in Beirut.

He added that Lebanon is ready to send its army to the southern region in coordination with the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL).

Adopted on 11 August, 2006, the resolution calls for a complete cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel and the establishment of a demilitarised zone between the Blue Line (the boundary between Lebanon and Israel) and the Litani River, allowing only the Lebanese army and UNIFIL to possess weapons and military equipment in the area.

Several Israeli media reports emerged of a possible ground operation in southern Lebanon amid massive air strikes across the country.

READ: 5 days of bombing: 783 killed in Israeli air strikes on Lebanon

Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, said early Thursday that Tel Aviv will only accept a ceasefire in Lebanon when Hezbollah is pushed away from the border to the north of the Litani River and disarmed.

Mikati said his talks with Berri took up several internal issues, including the situation of displaced people and the need to provide necessary support for them.

The Lebanese Premier said he will meet with representatives from donor countries on Tuesday to request aid for Lebanon.

Lebanese authorities estimate that around 118,800 have taken refuge in 780 shelters across Lebanon due to Israeli attacks in recent days.

Mikati said Lebanon will accept “all donations” from international sources, ensuring they will be distributed transparently through the UN to those in need.

He also highlighted the importance of electing a new president for Lebanon through a consensus among all parties.

Mikati noted that Berri assured him he would call for a parliamentary session to elect a consensus president as soon as a ceasefire with Israel is achieved.

Lebanon has been without a president for nearly two years following the end of Michel Aoun’s term in 2022. A divided parliament has, so far, been unable to elect a new leader.

Mikati held talks in Beirut early Thursday with French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot.

“The solution lies in ending Israeli aggression on Lebanon and returning to the ceasefire call made recently by the US and France, supported by the EU and several Arab and foreign countries,” he said.

Since 23 September, Israel has launched massive air strikes against what it calls Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, killing more than 900 people and injuring over 2,700 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Several Hezbollah commanders have been killed in the Israeli assault, including its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 41,600 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, on 7 October last year.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.

READ: South Africa calls for ceasefire in Lebanon to ‘prevent regional military conflagration’