PM: Beirut’s Message Clear: “Israel” Must Leave Southern Lebanon

By Staff, Agencies

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati has asserted that Beirut has delivered a “clear message” to the international overseers of the truce agreement with “Israel,” emphasizing that the “Israeli” forces must fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by the end of January.

The truce agreement, reached between “Israel” and the Lebanese government in November, mandates the withdrawal of “Israeli” forces from Lebanese territory by January 26.

Despite this, a report on Monday quoted an unnamed “Israeli” official stating that the “Israeli” military was preparing for an extended presence in Lebanon.

On Tuesday, Mikati declared that he had conveyed Lebanon’s firm position to the committee overseeing the truce, stressing that any extension of the ceasefire timeline by “Israel” is “categorically unacceptable.”

“The entity’s violations must stop, and ‘Israel’ must completely withdraw from the occupied Lebanese territories,” his office stated in a message shared on X.

“We also warned against continuing to breach the ceasefire understanding, as such actions jeopardize the entire agreement—something no one wishes to see happen,” Mikati added.

During his Monday meeting with US envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut, the prime minister called for a definitive timeline for “Israel’s” complete withdrawal from Lebanon.

The truce is monitored by a committee comprising representatives from Lebanon, France, the United States, and United Nations peacekeepers, tasked with identifying and addressing violations.

To date, over 300 “Israeli” violations have been reported since the ceasefire took effect last November, which ended nearly 70 days of “Israel’s” offensive on Lebanon.