Ministers from the Lebanese delegation gathered in Riyadh on the eve of a summit, Nov. 10, 2024. (Credit: Photo sent by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati's press office)
BEIRUT — Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, at the preparatory ministerial meeting for the upcoming joint Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, called for support from Arab and Islamic countries to end the war raging between Hezbollah and Israel. He claimed that Israel's objective is to "create an unlivable buffer zone" along Lebanon's southern border.
On Sept. 23, a week after escalating its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Israeli army launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon. Since then, it has reportedly booby-trapped and destroyed dozens of homes and neighborhoods in multiple Lebanese border villages.
Recruitment and training
During his speech in Riyadh, Bou Habib stated, "Lebanon is determined to strengthen the deployment of its armed forces in southern Lebanon, and the Lebanese government has decided to recruit and train around 1,500 soldiers in preparation for sending an additional 5,000 troops to join the approximately 4,500 already deployed in this area."
Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in conflict for over a year, resulting in more than 3,130 fatalities and displacing over 1.4 million people in Lebanon. U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006 to end hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, mandates that only the Lebanese army and the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) can operate south of the Litani River. However, Hezbollah maintains a significant presence in the region, which Israel claims to be targeting through airstrikes and ground offensives.
On Nov. 6, the Cabinet approved funds for the Ministry of Defense to recruit 1,500 personnel, allocating $1.3 million, or LL113.25 billion, which is expected to cover recruitment costs for three months, until the end of the year.
'Return Lebanon to the Stone Age'
Bou Habib urged Arab countries to support Lebanon's defense efforts. “Today, more than ever, Lebanon needs the support and backing of the Arab and Islamic worlds to stop the war," he said on Sunday, as reported by the state-run National News Agency.
He added, "Israel kills dozens and sometimes hundreds daily in a systematic manner that makes no distinction between women, children, elderly, medical staff, journalists, and civilians," claiming Israel's aim is to "create an unlivable buffer zone along Lebanon's southern border areas and to return Lebanon to the Stone Age."
Lebanon has expressed a vision for a sustainable solution, first demanding "an immediate cease-fire, restoration of calm and stability to the border, and the return of all displaced people from both sides to their villages through comprehensive implementation of UNSC 1701. This would ensure that the only legitimate authority south of the Litani River is that of the Lebanese government, with no weapons allowed without its approval."
"There are no weapons other than legal weapons," said caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on the eve of the summit. "Today is an opportunity to bring everyone back to the State, and for the State to be the sole decision-maker in everything," he added. "We will overcome this difficult situation as quickly as possible, and achieve a cease-fire and the application of international resolutions, with Resolution 1701 as the basis," continued Mikati, calling for "a stronger army presence in southern Lebanon."
Heritage at risk
Bou Habib also emphasized Lebanon's commitment to UNIFIL, condemning recent attacks on UNIFIL personnel and installations by Israeli forces. He pledged to bolster cooperation with the peacekeeping force.
“We believe that half-solutions through a cease-fire and re-commitment to implementing Resolution 1701 are far better than continued warfare. Whoever desires to live in peace with Lebanon must cease these violations and end the occupation of Lebanese territories," he said.
Lebanon, he added, is hopeful for Arab-Islamic advocacy to pressure influential countries and international forums to halt Israel's destruction of Lebanese heritage, which he described as in "imminent danger of being erased."
A special meeting will take place at UNESCO on Nov. 18 to discuss protecting Lebanese heritage sites, notably in Sour, Saida, and Baalbek.
The summit in Riyadh is set for Monday. The Lebanese delegation, including Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan, is led by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who arrived in Riyadh today. He was received by Riyadh's Deputy Governor, Prince Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz.