Lebanon’s president urges US military to put pressure on Israel to withdraw

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, meeting with a US military delegation, urges it to pressure Israel to withdraw from areas it still controls in the country and to release Lebanese prisoners.

The delegation is headed by US Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, the co-chairman of the Cessation of Hostilities Implementation Mechanism.

Aoun tells the American delegation that the Lebanese army is carrying out its work along the border with Israel, where troops have been confiscating weapons and preventing armed presence by Hezbollah.

A statement released by Aoun’s office says that Jeffers, who had held the post since before the Israel-Hezbollah war ended in late November, will be replaced by Maj. Gen. Michael J. Leeney. It adds that Leeney also attended Wednesday’s meeting.