Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has urged the United States to apply pressure on Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon, allowing Lebanese forces to assume control. This appeal was made during a meeting with Admiral Brad Cooper, head of the US Central Command, at the presidential Baabda Palace on Saturday.
According to Kuwait News Agency, President Aoun emphasized the need to activate the Lebanon Ceasefire Monitoring Committee to ensure the effective implementation of the truce deal provisions from last November and UN Security Council Resolution 1701 of August 2006. The committee, co-chaired by the United States and France, along with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), was established following an agreement on November 27, 2024, between Lebanon and Israel to end hostilities between Israeli occupation forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah group.
The President highlighted the importance of these measures in aiding Lebanese regular troops to enforce the government's decision to end irregular arms displays. A statement from Baabda Palace noted that the Lebanese cabinet has recently approved a military plan to this effect.
President Aoun condemned the ongoing attacks by Israeli forces in south Lebanon, describing them as harmful to Lebanese redeployment in the area and the confiscation of irregular weapons. The statement revealed that 12 Lebanese military personnel had been killed while handling irregular munitions and defusing landmines in the southern region of the Litani River, with the Lebanese army now controlling over 85 percent of that area.
The President also underscored the significance of US support for the Lebanese army in maintaining security, combating terrorism, and controlling the country's borders. Admiral Cooper commended the efforts of the Lebanese army in the south and reaffirmed US support by providing necessary military supplies and training.
Admiral Cooper noted that the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee is scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss the security situation in southern Lebanon and review the status of the November truce deal. The meeting was attended by Head of the Committee Gen. Michael Leeney and US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa A. Johnson.