Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib stressed that Beirut is seeking the “full implementation” of United Nations Security Council resolution 170.
In an interview to Asharq Al-Awsat, he revealed that “no one in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, has opposed this proposal.”
He added that the majority of foreign proposals to resolve the crisis in southern Lebanon revolve around the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters ten kilometers north so that the Israelis can return to their border villages and settlements.
Int’l proposals
Bou Habib denied that American officials have offered solutions to the crisis. “They have offered nothing and are still working on a plan,” he said.
British officials have, however, suggested that surveillance towers be set up in the South. Bou Habib said the idea doesn’t elaborate on which direction the cameras would be positioned.
Having them turned to Lebanon is not an option at the moment, he went on to say.
France suggested that the number of Lebanese troops deployed south of the Litani River be increased, to which the FM said: “Resolution 1701 calls for the deployment of 15,000 Lebanese soldiers along the border.”
“However, we are incapable of providing this number given the massive internal responsibilities the army has to deal with,” he explained.
“At the moment, we can only secure no more than 4,000 soldiers and they are indeed deployed on the border. At the same time, we are prepared to recruit 7,000 to 8,000 new soldiers if Lebanon is provided with enough assistance,” he continued.
“Without this assistance, Lebanon will be unable to secure the necessary funds to recruit them,” stated Bou Habib.
Moreover, he said Lebanon hasn’t yet started the negotiations phase. He acknowledged that official contacts are being held with Hezbollah. They are being carried out by himself, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, “who is in constant contact with Hezbollah.”
“We - the three officials – are tasked with communicating with the outside at the moment. We agree over our positions. I am in touch with various influential political forces in Lebanon,” he added.
“There is a complete agreement over the need to implement resolution 1701, including the articles related to the Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba Hills,” he added.
Hezbollah’s complete withdrawal
Bou Habib said Israel had called for the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from the South back in October. The demand was echoed by European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Brussels where he met with Bou Habib.
The FM had relayed to the European official Lebanon’s demand for the full implementation of resolution 1701.
Israel is insistent on Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the South, while it refuses to pull out from the Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba.
Bou Habib explained that Hezbollah justifies its deployment by citing Israel’s occupation of Lebanese territories, which dates back to 2000. “Logically, if the international community wanted Hezbollah to pull out of the border regions, then Israel must withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory,” he explained.
“This is why we have been demanding a full agreement,” he stated.
Asked by Asharq Al-Awsat if Hezbollah supports a “full agreement” that leads to its withdrawal, the FM replied: “I believe if such an agreement is reached, then the party will pull out.”
“The reasons why it is in the South will be no more once the agreement is implemented. I believe it will accept this, as demonstrated by Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah who said the war in Gaza was an opportunity to fully liberate occupied Lebanese territory,” he remarked.
“The Lebanese state is seeking the full implementation of resolution 1701. This means no Lebanese territories should remain occupied and Hezbollah or any other party should no longer maintain military presence in the South,” he added. “This is stipulated by resolution 1701 and Hezbollah has said it itself.”
No one in Lebanon is opposed to this demand, stressed the FM.
Negotiations amid the presidential vacuum
Bou Habib said Hezbollah is not discussing negotiations related to the South because it is aware that this issue falls under the state’s jurisdiction.
The negotiations themselves, which should be guided by the state, are tied to the election of a president. “No one but the president can sign off on the negotiations,” he declared.
So, discussions have been held over the possibility of the signing taking place the day a president is elected. “There can be no final agreement without a president,” said the FM.
Lebanon has been without a president since November 2022 when the term of Michel Aoun ended without the election of a successor. Ongoing political disputes between parties have so far thwarted the election of a head of state.
Furthermore, Bou Habib noted that Israel is the side that has been expanding the scope of its attacks, whether in Beirut, Nabatieh or Iqlim al-Kharroub. Hezbollah has respected the truce that took place months ago and led to the release of hostages from Gaza.
In addition, he said that should a ceasefire take hold in Gaza, then it would also encompass Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria.
He did express his concern over the possibility that the conflict could spill over into the region if Israel wages a widescale war on Lebanon. “However, we support security and stability, which is why we have been demanding resolving border disputes that will help us avoid a major war,” he added.
Internal differences
On the pressure the government is coming under over the withdrawal of Hezbollah from the border, Bou Habib said: “We will not take a single step that could lead to civil war should the party be forced to pull out from the border without an agreement.”
“This issue is out of the question to avoid an internal clash,” he stated.
“We would rather see a thousand regional wars than a single civil war,” he stressed.
Furthermore, Bou Habib noted that the majority of political forces, Christian and non-Christian, have accepted Hezbollah’s de facto military presence in the South regardless of whether they support it or not.
The FM, therefore, dismissed as “political debates” criticism related to this issue that are levelled against the government.
He also rejected Lebanese accusations that the government was working as a mediator between Hezbollah and the international community, declaring instead that there was no such mediation because the talks are being solely held by the state, not the party.
