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Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib revealed that the Lebanese government has asked Hezbollah to withdraw beyond the Litani River in accordance with UN Resolution 1701. In response, Hezbollah has demanded the Israeli withdrawal from the Shebaa Farms and Kfarchouba hills as a precondition.
In an interview with Al-Hadath TV on Sunday, Bou Habib emphasized that “the Blue Line is not a borderline,” stressing that “the true borders are the official borders demarcated in 1923, which both Lebanon and Israel agreed upon.”
He added, “If Israel refers to the Rhodes 1949 agreement, which the UN-sponsored, then there is no need for Hezbollah to maintain their weapons in southern Lebanon.”
Ambassador Ed Gabriel, President and CEO of the American Task Force to Lebanon, said last week in an interview with This is Beirut that “negotiations can move forward once a ceasefire is achieved,” highlighting that “both sides should avoid provocations.”
Gabriel praised the “diligent role played by US envoy Amos Hochstein in achieving this purpose,” and reiterated the urgent need for implementing UN Resolution 1701, insisting that “Hochstein will not be here forever.”
Both positions underscore that Hezbollah and Israel are opposed to escalation and are open to concessions. It is increasingly evident that the pro-Iranian group is keeping the southern front active due to Iranian pressures, using it as leverage in future negotiations.
The Lebanese government must capitalize on the current situation to promote calm on the southern borders, especially amid reports that Hezbollah has evacuated some bases in southern Lebanon following news of an Israeli response to the attack on Majdal Shams.
On Saturday, a rocket struck a football pitch in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israeli officials blamed Hezbollah for the strike and vowed retaliation. Hezbollah has “firmly” denied responsibility for the attack, which resulted in 12 deaths and over 44 injuries.
