Lebanon: Salam demands full withdrawal, Hezbollah sets ceasefire conditions
Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire Talks: Salam Calls for US Pressure as Hezbollah Rejects Direct Negotiations
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam asked Washington to pressure Israel to end its military operations in southern Lebanon, conditioning any agreement on a full Israeli troop withdrawal, as the fragile truce is set to expire at the end of the week.
In contrast, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah affirmed the party’s commitment to the ceasefire on condition of full Israeli compliance, considering direct negotiations with Israel a “major mistake.”
The report reviews the Lebanese government’s position supporting army reinforcement and gradual Hezbollah disarmament, versus the party’s rejection of direct talks and its insistence on halting targeted killings and village destruction.
Full Withdrawal and Truce Extension
Initially, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in an interview with The Washington Post that no agreement could be signed without a full Israeli troop withdrawal, days after the Israeli army published a map showing the strip it seized in southern Lebanon as a buffer zone.
He added that living under an Israeli presence that prevents displaced persons from returning and rebuilding destroyed villages and towns is impossible.
Salam called for extending the fragile US-brokered ceasefire set to expire at week’s end, as Lebanese and Israeli diplomats are scheduled to hold their second negotiating session at the US State Department.
Critical US Role
Salam stressed that the US role as mediator is critically important, expressing his conviction that the United States is the party capable of exerting influence on Israel, praising its role in reaching the ceasefire, and expressing hope it would continue exercising this influence.
Salam warned that Lebanon’s fate would depend on the outcome of talks regarding the US-Israeli campaign against Iran. He also criticized Israeli targeting that killed a journalist and several civilians in southern Lebanon, describing it as a violation of international law.
Disarmament a Gradual Process
The Lebanese prime minister stressed that Hezbollah disarmament is “a process, not something that will happen overnight,” affirming that the only way to achieve this is by strengthening the Lebanese army, appealing to international partners to provide equipment, training, and financial assistance.
He added that state monopoly on weapons is a Lebanese interest regardless of Israeli demands, as the state cannot have two armies, affirming that his country did not seek this war.
Conditional Ceasefire Commitment
For his part, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said the party would commit to the ceasefire on condition of full Israeli compliance, affirming that the party would respond as it sees fit to any truce violation. Fadlallah stressed that full ceasefire commitment means halting targeted killings, military operations, and the razing and destruction of villages.
Rejection of Direct Negotiations
Fadlallah considered direct negotiations with Israel a “major mistake” that increases internal division in Lebanon, arguing that the problem of the authority is not with Hezbollah but with a broad segment of Lebanese who reject direct negotiations with Israel.
He added that Hezbollah does not want to go toward internal conflict, calling for policy redrawing with minimal consensus, stressing that no authority contradicting coexistence has legitimacy, as stipulated by the Lebanese constitution.
Referring to attempts to justify Israeli military operations, the MP said: “No one can deal with the Israeli as if they are the victim and someone attacked them,” questioning those who justify the other side’s actions by claiming that journalist Amal Khalil was killed because of the party rather than Israeli operations.
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Joseph Aoun: “Lebanon is not a card in anyone’s pocket”
Tom Barrack’s Approach to Ending Hezbollah
New round of talks today between Lebanon and Israelhttps://t.co/WDuVwG24Ez pic.twitter.com/CWZSERXnIC
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