By Wassim Saifeldin
BEIRUT (AA) – Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib announced on Thursday that Lebanon rejected Israel's proposal for Hezbollah to withdraw from regions bordering Israel, allowing Israeli settlers to return to their homes.
According to a statement from the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, Habib said: “We rejected the Israeli project because we want a complete solution, which is the demarcation of the borders between us, which was delineated in 1923 and confirmed in the cease-fire agreement.”
He added: “We want to regain the Shebaa Farms and the hills of Kfarchouba, which are Lebanese, and for Israel to stop its aerial, maritime, and land violations.”
According to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, Israel has been occupying the lands of Shebaa Farms and the hills of Kfarchouba for decades, and it has been reluctant to reveal the borders in 13 points reserved by Beirut, hindering long-term resolution efforts.
Regarding the prospects of negotiations, Bou Habib continued that “no agreement can be signed before the election of a president. While waiting, we can negotiate to reach an agreement through indirect negotiations similar to the maritime demarcation agreement that was reached.”
Bou Habib reiterated: “Lebanon wants complete peace and not partial solutions,” adding: “I discussed this with the Americans, as well as with the ambassadors of France and the United States to Lebanon.”
Since the beginning of 2024, Beirut has witnessed a flurry of visits by Western envoys, amid escalating tensions on Lebanon's southern borders. Daily intermittent clashes occur between Hezbollah and Israel, linked to the destructive war waged by the Israeli army on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023.
Since Oct. 8, 2023, the Israeli-Lebanese border has experienced intermittent tension and sporadic exchanges of fire between the Israeli army on one side and Hezbollah and Palestinian factions on the other. This has resulted in fatalities and injuries on both sides and among Lebanese civilians.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala