Beirut, Jan 18 (IANS) Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday, during which he urged Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon within the deadline set by the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire deal.
“Continued Israeli violations on land and in the air — especially the destruction of homes and border villages — blatantly contradict the terms of the ceasefire agreement. Such actions constitute a further violation of Lebanese sovereignty and disregard the international community’s efforts to restore stability to southern Lebanon,” Aoun was quoted as saying by a statement from the Lebanese Presidency.
He raised concerns over Israel’s burning of cultivated lands in southern Lebanon, urging the UN to assist farmers in reclaiming and restoring these lands for agricultural use, the statement showed.
He said the Lebanese army is fully prepared to assume control of the region immediately after Israel’s withdrawal.
Following the meeting in the mountain town of Baabda, Guterres wrote on social media platform X that he has congratulated Aoun on his recent election victory.
“I look forward to working together to consolidate the cessation of hostilities and preserve the country’s security and stability,” he wrote.
Guterres also met with Lebanese Prime Minister-Designate Nawaf Salam on Saturday, after which the UN chief wrote on X that “the road ahead for Lebanon is filled with promise but also great tests.”
“As the Lebanese people travel this road together, the UN is proud to stand with them,” he wrote, Xinhua news agency reported.
Last week, Aoun was elected the new president of Lebanon, ending a two-year presidential vacuum that had paralysed the country’s political system. He then named Salam, president of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, as the new Prime Minister.
Guterres, who arrived in Beirut on Thursday on an official visit, called for a halt of Israeli military operations in Lebanon on Friday as he addressed peacekeepers at the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
Also on Saturday, the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah’s leader Naim Qassem said Israel exceeded 100 violations in southern Lebanon, and called on the Lebanese state to take a firm stand against these violations.
A ceasefire, brokered by the United States and France, went into effect on November 27, 2024, aiming to halt nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
The agreement stipulates that Israel withdraw from Lebanese territory within 60 days, with the Lebanese army deploying along the Lebanese-Israeli border and in the southern region, assuming security responsibilities and preventing any presence of weapons or militants in the area.
Despite the ceasefire, the Israeli army still carries out strikes in Lebanon, some of which resulted in deaths and injuries. Israel also accuses Hezbollah of ceasefire violations.
–IANS
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