From Beirut, where he completed a tour of the Middle East on Sunday, November 24, the last before the end of his mandate, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, asked for a “immediate ceasefire” between Israel and Hezbollah. “We see only one possible path: an immediate ceasefire and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701”Borrell said after meeting with the resigned Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, and with the President of Parliament, Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally who is leading the negotiations on the Lebanese side.
Resolution 1701, which ended the previous war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, stipulates that only the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) will be deployed to the southern border. It concerns the withdrawal of Hezbollah from southern Lebanon and the Israeli soldiers who have been carrying out a ground offensive there since the end of September.
“We must put pressure on the Israeli government and maintain pressure on Hezbollah to accept the American ceasefire proposal”said Mr. Borrell. This thirteen-point proposal, which provides for a sixty-day truce and the implementation of “1701,” was discussed this week by US special envoy Amos Hochstein to Lebanon and Israel.
Very committed to this issue, the Spanish diplomat, who will hand over to the Estonian Kaja Kallas, on the next 1Ahem December, assured that the European Union (EU) was “Ready to continue supporting the Lebanese army”, notably the “Significant logistical needs are needed for the redeployment of a force of approximately 10,000 soldiers to southern Lebanon. »
“I do not see the Israeli government clearly interested in reaching a ceasefire agreement”he lamented, highlighting that Hezbollah accepted the principle since September. Israel has set new conditions since MM’s finalization of a draft agreement on Wednesday. Berri and Hochstein. Josep Borrell mentioned Israel’s refusal to accept France as a member of the international committee in charge of supervising the implementation of the ceasefire. “France wants to help. “Lebanon must say whether it wants France to participate or not”he urged.
“The two-state solution”
The head of European diplomacy estimated that “many things can be done” to pressure Israel. “ The issue is the political will of Americans and Europeans.continuous. Until now we have only used diplomatic pressure. It doesn’t seem to have worked much to me. » Josep Borrell expressed concern about public statements by members of Netanyahu’s government in favor of the annexation of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and southern Lebanon. “We ask the international community to act and do so quickly, so as not to have more civilians killed, displaced and more destruction”he urged.
You have 28.57% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
