Lebanon, ceasefire monitoring committee meet ahead of Israel’s withdrawal deadline

By Naim Berjawi

BEIRUT (AA) - Acting Lebanese Army Commander Maj. Gen. Hassane Ouda met Wednesday with US Gen. Jasper Jeffers, head of the committee monitoring a ceasefire agreement with Israel, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.

The meeting at the Lebanese Defense Ministry in Beirut was held with 72 hours remaining until a deadline for Israel’s withdrawal from all areas it occupied in southern Lebanon during its recent war.

Ouda received Jeffers at his office, accompanied by French Gen. Guillaume Bonchin, a member of the ceasefire monitoring committee.

Developments in southern Lebanon and the progress of implementing the ceasefire agreement were discussed, according to the news outlet, without providing details.

The Israeli army committed eight ceasefire violations in Lebanon on Wednesday, bringing the total to 629 breaches since the agreement took effect Nov. 27.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place, ending a period of mutual shelling between Israel and the Lebanese resistance group, Hezbollah, that began Oct. 8, 2023, and escalated into full-scale conflict Sept. 23.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala