ADDS MORE REMARKS
By Beyza Binnur Donmez
GENEVA (AA) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Lebanon is "holding" despite a series of incidents, with Beirut accusing Tel Aviv of committing over 100 violations since it was signed last week.
"The cease-fire is holding, and we're using the mechanism that was established when any concerns have arisen about any alleged or purported violations," Blinken told reporters after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.
He was referring to the oversight mechanism established by the US and France, meant to "ensure that the cease-fire is effectively monitored and implemented."
He remarked, "We want to make sure it continues to work."
His remarks came as both Israel and Hezbollah are accused of violating the truce, which went into effect last Wednesday in the hopes of putting an end to over 14 months of fighting between the Israeli army and the Lebanon-based resistance group.
"I think, fundamentally, both parties, that is to say, Israel and Hezbollah, through the Lebanese government, wanted and continue to want the cease-fire," he said, adding, "We have to make sure that it's upheld, and we are determined to do that."
Without detailing enforcement mechanisms, Blinken said: "If there are concerns that one party or the other is violating the cease-fire, it comes to us, and one way or another, we engage the parties."
Under the terms of the cease-fire, Israel is to withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line de facto border in phases, while the Lebanese army is to deploy its forces in southern Lebanon within 60 days.
Since the cease-fire agreement went into effect on Nov. 27, Lebanon has reported over 120 violations by Israeli forces.
According to an Anadolu tally based on Health Ministry data, at least 14 people have been killed and 13 others injured in Israeli attacks since last week.
- Syria offensive highlights distraction of Assad allies
Blinken attributed the recent offensive by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria to the distractions facing key backers of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
The offensive "reflects the fact that Assad's key backers ... whether it's Russia, Hezbollah, Iran, have all, in different ways, been distracted, notably by problems of their own making," Blinken said.
He said HTS appeared to capitalize on these circumstances.
Blinken also underscored the urgent need for de-escalation, the protection of civilians, and progress on a political process based on the UN Security Council resolution aimed at ending Syria's long-standing civil war.
"I think what's so critical is that we see de-escalation," he said. "We ensure that civilians are protected throughout Syria and maybe most critically, that there's actually a political process that moves forward on the basis of the UN Security Council resolution to try to resolve and end the civil war in Syria."