The Israeli withdrawal from the border villages will be completed in stages

Dolly Bechealani wrote in Al-Diyar: At a time when Lebanon was waiting for the American mediator, Amos Hockstein, during his recent talks in Beirut that preceded the election session, especially with the committee monitoring the implementation of the agreement, to warn Israel of its continued violation of the ceasefire agreement, or to condemn it for not He did not commit to its terms. Rather, he talked about that the withdrawals would continue until all Israeli forces were completely outside Lebanese territory, with the Lebanese army continuing to deploy in the south up to the Blue Line, from Without specifying the 60-day deadline stipulated in the agreement.

The sources indicated that the pace of withdrawal will be faster, especially after the election of the Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, as President of the Republic, with the support of the votes of the representatives of the Shiite duo, who announced the practice of positive neutrality and the defense strategy for Lebanon, with the hope of appointing a new army commander to replace him at the head of the military command. Therefore, if this withdrawal requires more than 60 days, there will be no problem, as long as the steps are followed by the Lebanese army, which completes the deployment of its soldiers in the southern region, and with international monitoring by the mechanism that includes UNIFIL forces.

The matter relates to the Lebanese Army’s plan for deployment, which required training soldiers before sending them to the Litani area, according to what the sources mentioned, and it was said at the time that it would take about 3 months, and that the deployment would take place in 3 stages, coinciding with the end of the training of each group. However, this does not give the Israelis the right to continue their violations in the border villages, and to continue destroying buildings and homes there, as if they want to turn it into scorched earth that is not suitable for return and residence. Therefore, the army’s control over the land will prevent continued violations of the agreement, and force the Israeli enemy to carry out the withdrawal within the 60-day period if possible, and to complete it in full, even if it requires an additional few days after this specific deadline, as long as the monitoring mechanism is in place to implement the terms of the agreement on the ground. Lebanon is represented and can inform it of all violations with the aim of finding appropriate solutions for them…
If Israel had used the excuse that its withdrawal would not happen quickly, due to the slow deployment of the Lebanese army in the positions it vacated, the same sources confirm that this is not true. The army continues its deployment according to the established plan, and has not slowed down or hesitated. On the contrary, it has expressed its enthusiasm since the first day the ceasefire agreement entered into force, to deploy in the southern region, and it began doing so immediately.

Today, after the election of President Aoun, we are relying on the support of the international community to reconstruct the south, Beirut, and the Bekaa, and to return the residents to their homes in the border villages, which is what the president promised in his swearing-in speech, according to what the sources indicated, which would begin after the implementation of the Israeli withdrawal. From the south and the implementation of the provisions of Resolution 1701. Likewise, Hockstein promised Lebanese officials to support Lebanon and assist it in the issue of reconstruction, the return of investments and economic prosperity after the election of the president, and the formation of a full government. The authorities are capable of implementing the country’s reform plan.