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Cameron, Hungarian FM visit Lebanese officials

After the meeting, Cameron emphasized “the priority of a ceasefire in Gaza as a prelude for moving on to the next stages of the solution.”..reports Asian Lite News

Lebanon has reiterated its commitment to “implementing international resolutions to the letter, especially Resolution 1701.”

Caretaker Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib on Thursday said: “Lebanon is ready to begin indirect negotiations with Israel regarding the land borders, but no agreement can be signed before the election of a president. In the meantime, we can negotiate indirectly to reach an agreement similar to the maritime demarcation agreement that was achieved.”

He explained: “There is ongoing dialogue between us and Hezbollah, and the party has always acknowledged the state’s responsibility for negotiating the southern land border.

“Lebanon desires the delineation of the land borders, the Israeli withdrawal from the Shebaa Farms and Kfarchouba, and the cessation of violations; there are no disagreements among the Lebanese in this regard. We would like to delineate the borders, and this is what we have asked of everyone.”

British Foreign Minister David Cameron and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto arrived in Lebanon and held separate talks with Lebanese officials to urge calm, encourage the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and help spare Lebanon from getting involved in a war with Israel.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati informed Cameron of “Lebanon’s desire for continued cooperation between the army and UNIFIL,” referring to the UN peacekeeping force in the country.

Mikati’s media office said the two discussed “the establishment of calm in southern Lebanon and the requisite political and diplomatic solution. They also discussed the role of the army, avenues to support it and strengthen its capabilities, and ways to enhance cooperation between it and UNIFIL, as well as the means to implement Resolution 1701.”

After the meeting, Cameron emphasized “the priority of a ceasefire in Gaza as a prelude for moving on to the next stages of the solution.”

Cameron also met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who told him that “Israel is accused of targeting civilians and residential neighborhoods in the southern border villages and towns, bypassing the area of Resolution 1701 and the rules of engagement, and that Lebanon is adhering to and awaiting the implementation of this resolution since its issuance in its entirety.”

During a meeting with army commander Gen. Joseph Aoun, Cameron expressed “his country’s support for the army under the exceptional circumstances that Lebanon is going through,” according to the Army Command’s Orientation Office.

Meanwhile, Szijjarto said after an extensive meeting with his Lebanese counterpart Bou Habib: “We are concerned about the escalation of armed conflict in the Middle East, and the international community should do everything in its power to stop its deterioration because we know that if one country is involved in this armed conflict, it means we might be facing a regional war or even a war beyond the region’s borders.”

Bou Habib gave a more detailed explanation of Lebanon’s position, saying: “We rejected an Israeli proposal that requires Hezbollah to withdraw north so that Israel can return the settlers to their homes. We do not support half-measures in southern Lebanon. We want a complete solution that focuses on clarifying the borders between us, which were demarcated in 1923 and reaffirmed in the armistice agreement. We want to recover the territories of the Shebaa Farms and Kfarchouba Hills.”

A diplomatic source in contact with UNIFIL forces told Arab News that “Resolution 1701 is a comprehensive one. It does not only stipulate the cessation of hostilities. It contains provisions that should have been implemented in order to achieve a state of permanent stability. However, this was never done by either the Lebanese or the Israeli side. For years, the response was limited to addressing the violations perpetrated by both sides.”

On the other hand, the source talked about “the political instability that Israel faced. UNIFIL achieved what was achievable in south Lebanon under these circumstances, knowing that the cost of its presence amounts to half a billion dollars. However, it is the Lebanese government’s responsibility to implement the decisions it took and agreed to.

“Everyone knows that Hezbollah is part of the south and this is its land. Israel, by talking about the necessity of Hezbollah withdrawing from the border area, aims to provoke. This should not be discussed, as there is no need for a buffer zone,” the source added, pointing out that “UNIFIL was unable to enter and search the houses for weapons, as this requires evidence and search warrants.”

The source also refused to accuse anyone of obstructing the implementation of the resolution, as “both parties are in the wrong and pointing fingers is useless currently. The focus should be on the implementation of the international resolution’s provisions.

“Lebanon has an opportunity that should not be missed today. Does it want to be involved in regional conflicts despite its big potential?”

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Lebanese Prime Minister Urges End to Israeli Attacks

Hochstein also met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and other officials on the current situation along the Lebanon-Israel borders as well as the conflict in Gaza…reports Asian Lite News

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has urged an end to Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon during discussions with US envoy Amos Hochstein.

“We want peace and stability through adherence to international resolutions,” Mikati told the Hochstein, who visited Lebanon on Thursday to address the escalating tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, according to a statement by the Lebanese Council of Ministers.

For his part, Hochstein highlighted the need to calm the situation in southern Lebanon and proposed exploring temporary compromises to prevent further escalation, the statement said.

Hochstein also met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and other officials on the current situation along the Lebanon-Israel borders as well as the conflict in Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.

Confrontations on the borders continued to intensify on Thursday, with two members of the Civil Defence being killed and four others wounded in an Israeli air strike on Lebanon’s southern town of Hanin, a Lebanese military source told Xinhua.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the casualties resulted from an Israeli warplane firing four missiles at a civil defence centre and two adjacent houses in Hanin.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said its fighters attacked several Israeli sites in al-Baghdadi and al-Motella.

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German FM Commits 15 Mn Euros to Strengthen Lebanese Army

“The army must be able to exercise effective control in the region to contain armed groups,” she added, without specifying…reports Asian Lite News

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has vowed to offer 15 million euros ($16.45 million) to support the Lebanese army amid growing fears of escalating tensions with Israel on Lebanon’s southern border.

During her visit to the Beirut port, Baerbock said on Wednesday that the money would be used to buy fuel and train soldiers to monitor the border, according to Lebanon’s Elnashra news website.

“The army must be able to exercise effective control in the region to contain armed groups,” she added, without specifying.

Arriving in Beirut on Tuesday, Baerbock held meetings on Wednesday with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Lebanese Army Commander Joseph Aoun to discuss the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed increased tension since October 8 after Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

The confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have killed 215 on the Lebanese side, including 158 Hezbollah members and 37 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources.

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EU urges Lebanese President for structural reforms

For his part, Aoun said Lebanon needs political and sovereign reform and structural changes in the system…reports Asian Lite News

The European Union (EU) diplomat to Lebanon said that the bloc is ready to support the crisis-hit country on condition that Beirut implements needed structural reforms.

EU Ambassador Ralph Tarraf made the remarks in a meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, with the attendance of ambassadors of Switzerland and Norway, to express their growing concern about the current situation in the country amid a crippling economic crisis.

The bloc is ready to support Lebanon “politically and financially, in the context of implementing a sound economic recovery plan and an IMF program”, Tarraf said.

“We urged the president to do his utmost to support and actively contribute to implementing crucial economic, monetary, and fiscal reforms that Lebanon has committed to,” he noted, stressing “now is the time” for Lebanon to implement measures it agreed with the International Monetary Fund, as detailed in a staff-level agreement between the two sides in early April.

For his part, Aoun said Lebanon needs political and sovereign reform and structural changes in the system.

“It is difficult to run a country governed by three different leaders, which is why we are witnessing this kind of constitutional chaos, especially that the newly elected MPs (parliament members) have divergent affiliations,” he said.

The meeting came a day after the Lebanese pound on Monday sank to a new historic low against the US dollar on the parallel market as the country continues to suffer from a steep financial crisis and a political deadlock.

On Monday, the exchange rate of the Lebanese pound declined to 39,000 against the dollar, down from the previous record low of 36,600 on September 13.

In May, the exchange rate of the currency declined to 34,000 against the US dollar.

Since 2019, Lebanon has been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis that resulted in the collapse of the local currency.

Hit by intertwined political, economic and health crises, Lebanon’s poverty rate now has risen to more than 74 per cent, according to the World Bank.

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