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Lebanon Asks UNIFIL to Coordinate With Army

Prime Minister Hassan Diab with UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col at the UNIFIL headquarters, South Lebanon (NNA).
Prime Minister Hassan Diab with UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col at the UNIFIL headquarters, South Lebanon (NNA).
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Lebanon Asks UNIFIL to Coordinate With Army

Prime Minister Hassan Diab with UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col at the UNIFIL headquarters, South Lebanon (NNA).
Prime Minister Hassan Diab with UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col at the UNIFIL headquarters, South Lebanon (NNA).

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that the presence of the international peacekeepers operating in the South (UNIFIL) “is still necessary and urgent”, reiterating “Lebanon’s commitment to implementing Security Council Resolution 1701 and maintaining the number of international forces without any amendment.”

He also stressed the importance of UNIFIL’s continued coordination and close cooperation with the Lebanese army “to prevent any confusion.”

Diab visited on Wednesday the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, following a number of incidents over the past few days between peacekeepers and residents of southern villages. He was accompanied by Defense Minister Zeina Akar and Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun.

On Tuesday, residents of the southern village of Blida accused a UNIFIL military vehicle of hitting two cars and a motorbike, the state-run National News Agency reported. UNIFIL said it was investigating the incident.

“The need for UNIFIL troops is still necessary and urgent, in light of the Israeli attempts to destabilize south Lebanon and the continued violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty by land, sea and air,” the Lebanese prime minister said in a televised conference before his meeting with UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col.

Del Col, for his part, said he was looking forward to “working with the Lebanese government and particularly the Lebanese Army on implementing UNSCR 1701 in full, and addressing any unresolved cases.”

The prime minister’s visit also came in the wake of statements made by Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, in which he responded to what he said were US demands to amend the mission of UNIFIL and grant it the right to search civilian homes.

“Since 2006, UNIFIL has been working in coordination with the Lebanese Army. Israel and the US want to give it free rein to raid and search private properties,” Nasrallah said in a radio interview on Tuesday.

“They want to reduce UNIFIL numbers? Go ahead. Increase them? Go ahead,” Nasrallah said, adding if they also want to leave it will be no problem. “But we consider expanding its mandate an infringement on Lebanese sovereignty.”

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Türkiye Denies Direct Talks with SDF, Demands Full Disarmament

Türkiye insists on the dissolution of the SDF, the departure of foreign fighters from Syria, and the integration of remaining members into the new army (Reuters)
Türkiye insists on the dissolution of the SDF, the departure of foreign fighters from Syria, and the integration of remaining members into the new army (Reuters)
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Türkiye Denies Direct Talks with SDF, Demands Full Disarmament

Türkiye insists on the dissolution of the SDF, the departure of foreign fighters from Syria, and the integration of remaining members into the new army (Reuters)
Türkiye insists on the dissolution of the SDF, the departure of foreign fighters from Syria, and the integration of remaining members into the new army (Reuters)

Türkiye has denied holding any direct negotiations with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), asserting that no dialogue is possible unless the group dissolves itself and fully disarms.

Omer Celik, spokesperson and deputy chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), firmly rejected recent reports and statements suggesting contacts between Turkish authorities and the SDF.

“No official meetings have taken place,” Celik stated Thursday, following a high-level party meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

His comments came in response to a recent interview with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, who claimed there had been direct contacts and expressed openness to meeting Erdogan. Without naming Abdi directly, Celik dismissed the notion that Türkiye had engaged with the SDF as though it were an independent entity. “It is unacceptable to frame the situation in that way,” he said.

Celik reiterated that any engagement would only be possible if the SDF disbands, lays down its arms, and ends its affiliation with the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), which Ankara considers a terrorist organization. “If they disarm, then a meeting could be possible,” he added.

In recent days, several Western media outlets reported that US-mediated talks had taken place between Türkiye and the SDF. These reports claimed the discussions centered on reducing tensions, dissolving the SDF, and implementing a March agreement with the Syrian government that would see SDF fighters integrated into a new Syrian army and hand over ISIS-linked detainees and camps to Damascus.

While some reports hinted at a potential meeting between Abdi and either Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan or intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Fidan denied such plans. He confirmed that Türkiye is working with both Washington and Damascus to implement the SDF’s military integration.

Celik also acknowledged an agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government that would see the SDF hand over territory to state control. He stated that all PKK elements, especially those from the YPG (the SDF’s leading faction), must leave the country.

Referring to a May 12 PKK statement titled “Dissolution of the PKK and Disarmament,” Celik stressed that Erdogan had made it clear that all PKK-affiliated structures, including the SDF, must be dismantled and disarmed.

“This is not about opposing Kurdish rights,” Celik concluded. “President Erdogan told Assad years ago: Give Kurds their rights like any other citizens. But we will never allow a terrorist state on our southern border.”