Meeting with US ambassador, Rajji calls for 'complete' withdrawal of Israeli army from south

Foreign Minister Joe Rajji once again called on Wednesday for the "complete" withdrawal of the Israeli army from southern Lebanon as he received the U.S. ambassador to Beirut, Lisa Johnson.

Rajji urged Israel to "completely withdraw from the Lebanese territories it occupies up to the internationally recognized borders, release Lebanese prisoners and respect the provisions of the 1949 armistice agreement with Lebanon," the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Last week, the foreign minister met with the French ambassador to Beirut, Hervé Magro, and reiterated "Lebanon's demand for a total and unconditional Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory."

The United States and France are guarantors of the truce agreement concluded after more than 13 months of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. This agreement was extended until Feb. 18 after Israel stated that the Lebanese government had not fully implemented it, citing the slow deployment of the Lebanese army. The Israeli army maintains a presence at several points in southern Lebanon and continues to conduct airstrikes across the country.

In front of Johnson, Rajji also noted President Joseph Aoun's statements on "the necessity of implementing the truce agreement between Lebanon and Israel and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701."

Adopted in 2006 following a previous war between Israel and Hezbollah, Resolution 1701 explicitly gives the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Lebanese army the authority to operate and maintain peace along the Blue Line, which marks the border between the two countries. It also stipulates that Hezbollah should be kept away from the border, in exchange for Israel's respect for Lebanese sovereignty. This resolution served as the basis for the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, which came into effect on Nov. 27 last year.

The discussion between Rajji and Johnson also covered "the positive and encouraging atmosphere of the Riyadh meeting and the extraordinary Arab summit organized by Egypt on developments in the Palestinian issue and the unified Arab position that emerged from the summit," according to the minister's remarks reported by the NNA. The U.S. administration rejected the Gaza reconstruction plan adopted by Arab leaders, which excludes Hamas and aims to provide an alternative to President Donald Trump's plan to place the territory under U.S. control.

NNA reported that Rajji received a phone call from the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, who invited him to participate in the Syria support conference scheduled in Brussels on March 17. The minister reiterated to the European official the burden of the presence of Syrian displaced persons in Lebanon.

According to Beirut, Lebanon hosts nearly two million Syrians (nearly 800,000 are registered with the United Nations), making it the country with the highest number of refugees per capita in the world. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their country since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8, 2024.