This morning (Monday), Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar held a telephone conversation with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot after claims were made in France regarding alleged Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.
“The very presence of Hezbollah south of the Litani is the most fundamental violation”
During the call, Sa’ar emphasized that Israel is not the one violating the ceasefire with Hezbollah; it is responding to the violations of the terrorist organization which is not fulfilling its commitments under the agreement, and amid the impotence of the Lebanese State. For example, Sa’ar noted that Hezbollah operatives are armed in the area south of the Litani and are attempting to transport weapons southward. “Their very presence south of the Litani is the most fundamental violation. They must move north,” the Foreign Minister stressed in his conversation with his French counterpart.
Sa’ar added that the Lebanese government must clearly authorize the Lebanese Army to carry out the necessary actions required of it according to the agreement, and to respond to Hezbollah’s violations. He stated that Israel has an interest in the successful implementation of the ceasefire understandings, but this requires adherence to commitments, and that Israel will not accept a return to the situation that existed before the war.
The clarifications from Israel came after France claimed that there were 52 violations of the ceasefire agreement within 24 hours, that did not go through the mechanism that had been established to enforce them. The French accused Israel of causing the death of three “Lebanese civilians” and that Israeli drones returned to fly at low altitude over Beirut.
While France acknowledged attempts by Hezbollah to transfer weapons to southern Lebanon, they stated that the established mechanism is supposed to prevent this, “The Lebanese are fully committed to acting to maintain the ceasefire and to prevent Hezbollah from moving south again, but they must be given time to prove themselves.”
In response to the accusations, Israel stated that the mechanism between Israel and Lebanon “will begin to gain momentum” on Monday and Tuesday, and until then, Israel will continue to aggressively enforce violations across the border. A political source said, “Every violation will be met with significant enforcement, and that is what is happening on the ground.”
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