Shafaq News – Beirut

On Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun rejected claims that the Lebanese Army has failed to carry out its duties, including the disarmament of Hezbollah, south of the Litani River.

During a meeting with French Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, Aoun said Lebanon “welcomes any French role” within the ceasefire-mechanism committee, noting that French participation would help advance the committee’s core objectives, particularly the demilitarization of southern Lebanon except for the army.

Aoun also pushed back against “accusations circulated in recent weeks” suggesting that the army had not enforced provisions of Resolution 1701 of 2006, which calls for a full cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) south of the Litani River, which stretches roughly 170 kilometers from the Beqaa Valley to the Mediterranean Sea north of Tyre.

Since the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel took effect on November 27, 2024, UNIFIL – which deploys among its personnel around 800 French troops, according to its website – has reported more than 8,500 Israeli air and ground violations. Lebanese authorities say Israeli forces continue to hold five positions south of the Litani River and have carried out strikes across southern Lebanon, eastern Lebanon, and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

According to the latest available figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Health, 335 people have been killed and 973 injured since the ceasefire began.