Israel wants to “maintain the ability to strike” Lebanon “at any time” as part of a ceasefire agreement with the Hezbollah, which constitutes a violation of the country's sovereignty, revealed the French Foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, on Wednesday.
Barrot, who was in Israel last week, noted a hardening in Tel Aviv positions, during a hearing on Lebanon at the French National Assembly. He noted that the Israeli government's war aims in Lebanon were “not entirely precise”.
“On the long term, there is indeed a Lebanese state with which it is possible to live in peace, a neighbor that would not be a threat to Israel. But in the short term (...) it's the logic of war, positions are hardening”, he said. “Today, we hear voices in Tel Aviv, saying that the most important thing is for Israel, at any time, to keep the ability to strike in Lebanon, or even enter Lebanon, as is the case with (...) Syria”, explained Jean-Noël Barrot.
“This prospect is obviously incompatible with sovereignty (...), with a strong state which has a monopoly on legitimate force”, he continued, stressing that diplomatic efforts are focused on building up the Lebanese armed forces.
France is pushing for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 of 2006, stipulating that only UN peacekeepers and the Lebanese army should be deployed in southern Lebanon. It is also considering ways of strengthening the UNIFIL, which is criticized by Israel for turning a blind eye, as they say, to the arming of Hezbollah.
Jean-Noël Barrot stressed that discussions are taking place on the “evolution” of UNIFIL activities, “without necessarily having to modify its mandate”. He mentioned “the equipment that UNIFIL could mobilize to make sure that the ceasefire is implemented when the time comes”, “the frequency of its patrols” and “its capacity to intervene”.
Barrot stressed that France was holding discussions with the countries that participate in UNIFIL to consolidate both the Lebanese army and the peacekeeping forces, to guarantee northern Israel’s security, “and thus fully give a reason to Israel to withdraw its forces” from southern Lebanon.
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