Germany calls for disarmament of Hezbollah, withdrawal of Israeli military from Lebanon

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Thursday called for the disarmament of Hezbollah and the withdrawal of Israeli military from Lebanon in line with the relevant UN Security Council decisions.

Speaking to reporters in Paris ahead of an international aid conference for Lebanon, Baerbock said the implementation of the UN resolution 1701 would be the best way forward to prevent further destabilization of Lebanon, and guarantee security in northern Israel.

“Actually, the UN resolution 1701 is more relevant than ever before today. It states very clearly that Hezbollah must withdraw behind the Litani River, there can be no armed militias in Lebanon, Hezbollah must be disarmed. And the resolution states very clearly that the Israeli military must withdraw from Lebanon,” Baerbock said.

“Here in Paris, we will continue to work intensively with our international partners on how we can implement the UN resolution 1701, which will hopefully finally guarantee security for Israel, the people in northern Israel, and security for the people in southern Lebanon, and we will discuss providing more humanitarian assistance,” she added.

The minister said Germany has decided to allocate an additional €96 million ($103.6 million) in humanitarian and development aid to Lebanon.