A damaged vehicle and debris resulting from Israeli nighttime air strikes targeting the village of Abbassieh in southern Lebanon on Oct. 31, 2024. (Credit: AFP)
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri have called on the United States and France to press Israel to uphold a cease-fire agreement, following what Beirut has described as numerous Israeli violations on Lebanese soil, Reuters reported Tuesday. The appeals were made during late-night conversations with officials at the White House and French presidency on Monday, according to two senior Lebanese political sources who spoke to Reuters.
Caretaker Prime Minister Mikati confirmed at the Grand Serail on Tuesday that diplomatic efforts are underway to address Israel's breaches and ensure its withdrawal from Lebanese border towns. He stressed the importance of restoring stability to enable the return of displaced residents to their homes and expanding the Lebanese Army’s deployment in the south, according to a statement published by his media office.
Mikati discussed this matter with caretaker Defense Minister Maurice Selim and caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.
The diplomatic push comes amid increasing concern over breaches of the cease-fire, which was brokered earlier to de-escalate tensions along the border. Mikati and Berri emphasized the urgent need for international intervention to restore calm, the sources said. Speaker Berri, a close ally of Hezbollah and a key negotiator in the deal, underscored the fragility of the current situation.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also addressed the issue in a conversation with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, urging adherence to the cease-fire. Meanwhile, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matt Miller acknowledged on Monday that while the cease-fire "is holding," violations were anticipated, Reuters reported.
Heavy deployment of the Lebanese Army in the neighborhoods and streets of Sour and its surroundings took place Tuesday to maintain security, signaling the start of the army's redeployment in the south, particularly in border villages, NNA reported Tuesday.
The clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, which began on Oct. 8, 2023, escalated into an all-out war in late September. This escalation included an expanded Israeli offensive in Lebanon, accompanied by a ground operation. Several Lebanese soldiers and officers were killed in Israeli strikes during the conflict.
Hezbollah had announced that it had fired shells on Monday evening at the Roueissat al-Alam site in the disputed Kfar Shuba hills, adjacent to the Shebaa Farms. According to a party statement, the attack came “in response to repeated violations” of the cease-fire agreement by Israel. Since Nov. 27, the Israeli army has carried out dozens of attacks on Lebanese territory, killing at least 13 people, not to mention repeated overflights.