The American envoy to Lebanon, Amos Hockstein, said – in an interview with Tel Aviv Tribune from Washington – that the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel “will be permanent and not for 60 days,” and revealed that Lebanon and Israel have “the right to self-defense, according to the agreement.”
The ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel entered into force at dawn on Wednesday, and the Lebanese army announced earlier that it was working to take the necessary measures to complete its deployment in the south of the country, in accordance with the mandate of the Lebanese government.
Hockstein explained that at the current stage, “all hostilities” will stop, including missiles, aircraft, and bombing, and revealed that the Israeli army, which is located 3 kilometers on the border with Lebanon, will remain in place during this period, and when it leaves, the Lebanese army will deploy.
While he said that Israeli forces will leave gradually over a period of 60 days, Hockstein indicated that the Lebanese army is not able to deploy large forces throughout southern Lebanon during this stage, and therefore the process will take place gradually to ensure that this is done in an effective manner.
In response to a question about Israel’s failure to adhere to Resolution 1701, which was approved in 2006, the American envoy merely said that the resolution was important for the end of the war, but no one implemented it and no mechanism was established to supervise its implementation.
In the same context, he stated that Hezbollah did not leave north of the Litani River, and “we saw heavily armed tunnels and major tunnels in the south with the possibility of thousands of fighters to attack Israel.”
He called for the necessity of “applying the principles of Resolution 1701 with a real mechanism for implementation, so that both parties can implement the resolution,” and considered it “a good opportunity for Lebanon to reaffirm its sovereignty over all Lebanese lands.”
Regarding the Israelis’ talk about what they called freedom of movement if there was a violation or violation of the ceasefire, Hockstein explained that the mechanism currently in place, headed by the United States of America and in partnership with France and partners from the region and Europe, was not the case before, which means that complaints will be received from both parties, Lebanon and Israel. Regarding violations.
In the same context, the American envoy said that “Lebanon and Israel have the right to self-defense, in accordance with the agreement and in accordance with international law.”
Regarding the talk of a senior American official about sending an American force to the American embassy in Beirut, Hockstein explained – in his interview with Tel Aviv Tribune correspondent Wajd Waqfi from Washington – that US President Joe Biden confirmed that “no American forces will deploy in southern Lebanon,” stressing that his country will It will continue to provide security assistance and support to Lebanon through the army and diplomats through the embassy.
Regarding the force that supervises the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the handover of the Lebanese army, he said that the supervising committee will be headed by the United States and France, and that the United Nations Interim Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is part of the process, indicating that the matter requires coordination with the deployment of the Lebanese army in South.
