The ceasefire monitoring committee in Lebanon, chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, at the Grand Serail in Beirut, Dec. 24, 2024. (Credit: NNA)
The technical committee monitoring the cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel met Tuesday at the Grand Serail in Beirut, chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, according to the official National News Agency (NNA).
The meeting was attended by key military figures, including Lebanese Army Commander-in-Chief General Joseph Aoun, U.S. Major General Jasper Jeffers, who co-chairs the committee, French General Guillaume Ponchin, Lebanese Brigadier General Edgar Lawandos, Commander of the Litani Sector South and U.N. Interim Forced in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Commander General Aroldo Lazaro.
On Monday, Mikati urged Paris and Washington to “pressure” Israel to expedite the withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon, nearly a month after a fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect. The U.S. and France co-chair the committee, which is tasked with overseeing the cease-fire’s implementation and addressing any violations. Under the cease-fire agreement, Israeli invading forces are to withdraw from Lebanon within a 60-day period and are to be replaced by the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL peacekeeping forces.
Despite the cease-fire’s official start Nov. 27, Beirut has condemned repeated violations by Israel, including ongoing military operations in southern Lebanon and restrictions preventing some residents from returning to their homes. On Tuesday, Lebanon formally lodged a complaint with the U.N. Security Council against Israel, the first since the truce began.
