Lebanese officials welcomed the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, calling on the international community to ensure Israel abides by the truce reached last November.
President Joseph Aoun said in a statement that he welcomed the initial phase of the agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
He expressed hope that the deal would serve as “a first step toward a permanent ceasefire and an end to the humanitarian suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people.”
Aoun emphasized the “need for continued international and regional efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just peace in the region that guarantees the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights, in line with the Arab Peace Initiative adopted at the Beirut Summit in 2002.”
He also urged Israel to “heed the calls of Arab and foreign leaders to end its aggressive policies in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria,” saying such a move would “create a positive climate for working toward a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace that ensures stability in the Middle East.”
Berri Warns of Israel’s Noncompliance
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said: “We would be happy if the genocidal war the Palestinian people have endured for two years in Gaza were to stop.” He cautioned, however, that Israel has a record of reneging on its commitments.
“Israel has repeatedly evaded agreements and pledges, most recently the ceasefire deal with Lebanon last November, which Lebanon has fully respected south of the Litani River, as acknowledged by both supporters and opponents of the resistance and Hezbollah,” Berri said.
He added that since November 27, “the resistance has not fired a single shot, while Israel, instead of withdrawing, releasing detainees, and halting its aggression, occupied new areas and destroyed entire villages.”
“What comes after Gaza?” Berri asked. “The answer must certainly be to turn toward Lebanon to implement the agreement reached and for the international community, especially the countries that sponsored the ceasefire, to shoulder their responsibility and compel Israel to comply: withdraw from occupied territories, end its aggression, and release detainees.”
Berri stressed that “there can be no economic recovery in Lebanon while the situation in the south remains as it is, with ongoing occupation and aggression, and the government yet to begin reconstruction.”
He also criticized the government’s inaction toward residents returning to border villages.
“Is it conceivable that the Lebanese government hasn’t even said ‘welcome back’ to people returning to farm their lands and rebuild their destroyed homes? Sadly, it’s as if the south isn’t part of Lebanon,” he said.
“All ministries must be present, at least minimally, so that returning southerners do not feel excluded from the country.”
Berri urged unity, saying “everyone must act based on Lebanon’s national interest above all else. Lebanon is too small to be divided, and its people — who stood together during the Israeli aggression — proved more patriotic than some of their politicians. Under no circumstances should the government link reconstruction to political conditions.”
Prime Minister and EU Cooperation
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam discussed the European Union’s support for the Lebanese army and the importance of maintaining it, as well as ways to strengthen backing for the Internal Security Forces.
During his meeting with Charles Fries, the EU Deputy Secretary-General for Peace, Security, and Defense, Salam reviewed government efforts to extend state authority and its security and military priorities that the EU could help support.
Implementing Resolution 1701
Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji also met with Fries and the accompanying European delegation in the presence of EU Ambassador Sandra De Waele.
The talks focused on the EU’s support for Lebanon, particularly efforts to “enhance the army’s capabilities to enable it to perform the tasks required under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, complete its deployment in the south, and enforce the state’s monopoly over arms.”
Rajji called on the EU to “press Israel to end its daily attacks on Lebanon, withdraw from occupied territories, and release detainees.”
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to “the reform path it began upon formation, as a popular demand before being an international one.”
