Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmed al-Hajjar stressed on Saturday that the Lebanese state is adamant to free all parts of its land occupied by Israel.
“The state will not find rest until all parts of the land are liberated”, the state-run National News Agency quoted al-Hajjar on Saturday.
He stressed that diplomatic channels in that regard are reassuring. “All diplomatic channels are reassuring. We adhere to the sovereignty of the state which stands strongly by its people”, said Hajjar during a visit to oversee the electoral process in the southern town of Shebaa.
The minister hailed “the strong will” of the Lebanese people to make a change in spite of the limited resources.
Israel demands to remain in five southern locations after a February 18 deadline for fully implementing a ceasefire deal that ended more than a year of Israel-Hezbollah hostilities.
The fourth and final phase of the municipal elections kicked off on Saturday in the South Lebanon and Nabatieh governorates, amid tight security measures enforced by the army and Internal Security Forces.
Local municipal elections began on May 4 in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, marking the first such elections in nine years after several postponements.
