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Monday, October 21, 2024
Israel seeking ability to keep disarming Hezbollah, access to Lebanon airspace in ceasefire — report
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Israel wants to be able to actively enforce the disarming of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and to maintain unfettered access to Lebanese airspace under any ceasefire arrangement ending the war there, according to a report detailing demands Israel has passed to the White House.
The demands were included in a document drawn up by Israel and passed to White House envoy Amos Hochstein ahead of his trip to the region today aimed at brokering an end to the fighting, Axios reports, citing US and Israeli officials.
According to the US news site, Israel wants to be able to conduct “active enforcement” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which requires that the Lebanese Armed Forces be the only force with arms in southern Lebanon. It also seeks freedom of operation over Lebanese airspace, which it currently enjoys on a de facto basis.
Israel says the resolution has gone largely unenforced since it was passed in 2006, allowing Hezbollah to build up a formidable arms cache and defensive capabilities, with neither UNIFIL peacekeepers nor the LAF willing to challenge the Iran-backed terror group.
Israel has repeatedly portrayed its offensive in southern Lebanon as essentially stepping in and doing UNIFIL’s job for it.
“We are talking about 1701 with increased enforcement. Our main message is that if the Lebanese army and UNIFIL do more, the IDF will do less and the other way around,” an Israeli official is quoted as saying.
The site reports that the US supports bolstering UNIFIL’s mandate and the LAF in order to better oppose Hezbollah.
The Times of Israel Community.