According to Lebanese media, Berri emphasized that “Lebanon has fully committed to everything requested since the implementation of the decision, while Israel continues its unilateral war through bombings, assaults, and detaining Lebanese prisoners.” He added, “They want us to negotiate under fire, which is absolutely unacceptable.”
Berri directly addressed the delegation members with a question: “You say you are here to ensure the implementation of Resolution 1701, so what are you doing to oblige Israel to comply with it? How can the resolution be implemented while you are moving towards ending the international forces’ mission in the south? How can this contradiction be resolved?”
He affirmed that true stability begins by obliging Israel to stop its daily violations and withdraw from Lebanese territories, especially with the intensification of meetings by the quintet committee stemming from the agreement. He stressed that the current reality demands an immediate ceasefire and an end to the unilateral war on Lebanon.
Berri concluded his message to the delegation with a clear warning: “Continued Israeli aggression will reignite the war. It is unacceptable to negotiate under fire.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated in a meeting with a delegation that included members of the UN Security Council on Friday: “Lebanon is convinced that wars cannot lead to positive outcomes and that only negotiations can create a climate that leads to stability and security, providing solutions to unresolved issues and alleviating the suffering of citizens,” according to the Lebanese National News Agency.
The President clarified that what he is doing in terms of negotiations within the “Mechanism” committee is not to please the international community, but because it is in Lebanon’s interest, emphasizing: “We have made the decision, and there is no going back. I have communicated this to all Arab and foreign officials I have met, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio when I met him in New York, and we are committed to this choice.”
Aoun explained the goals of the negotiations: “These negotiations primarily aim to stop the hostile actions by Israel on Lebanese territories, recover prisoners, program the withdrawal from occupied territories, and correct disputed points along the Blue Line.”
He added, “We hope these negotiations will lead to positive results. However, it must be emphasized that the success of these negotiations largely depends on the stance that will determine whether the negotiations achieve practical results or fail.”
A ceasefire agreement between ” ” and Israel came into effect on November 27, 2024, more than a year after Hezbollah opened what it called the “Support Front for the Gaza Sector” on October 8, 2023. It was expected that the Israeli army would complete its withdrawal from the areas it occupied in southern Lebanon by dawn on January 26, 2025, but Israel did not adhere to the deadline and maintained its military presence in five strategic points in southern Lebanon, citing “ensuring the protection of northern settlements.” Despite the agreement, strikes are occasionally launched in Lebanon, claiming they are to remove “Hezbollah threats.”
