Hezbollah Chief Demands Full Israeli Withdrawal on Timetable
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Tuesday called for a scheduled withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon, as Lebanese authorities reported that Israeli gunfire killed two people despite a recent lull in fighting. The demand came as a fifth round of Israel-Lebanon talks began in Washington, with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun rejecting both Israeli occupation and foreign interference, an apparent reference to Iran.
Ceasefire and Violations
Mediators Pakistan and Qatar announced on Monday that Tehran and Washington had agreed to establish a "de-confliction cell" to limit flare-ups in Lebanon, following talks in Switzerland aimed at ending the wider Middle East war. Qassem stated in a televised address: "We now have a ceasefire. The withdrawal must take place according to a timetable. Israel has no choice but to fully withdraw from all Lebanese territory, without retaining an inch."
Deadly clashes between Israel and Hezbollah on Friday and Saturday had threatened the nascent US-Iran deal, which calls for a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. Fighting has largely paused since Saturday evening. Qassem added: "Israel withdraws and the Lebanese army deploys exclusively south of the Litani River," referring to a waterway about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border.
Israeli Fire Kills Two Men
Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli soldiers opened fire with machine-guns on Tuesday, killing two men "while they were standing near an excavator that was unblocking a road" in Nabatieh Al-Fawqa. The health ministry confirmed the deaths. Hezbollah condemned the incident as a "blatant" violation of the truce and a "treacherous attack."
The Israeli military said soldiers fired warning shots at four alleged Hezbollah militants on a bulldozer and a motorcycle who entered an Israeli-declared "security zone" extending about 10 kilometers inside Lebanon, and then "additional fire was conducted in order to remove the threat." Separately, Israeli forces struck "a cell of armed terrorists operating" near soldiers in the zone. The NNA also reported that "an enemy drone targeted a parked car" near Baraasheet, and another drone targeted a car elsewhere in south Lebanon "without hitting the vehicle."
UNIFIL Reports Calm
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, said earlier Tuesday that it had not observed any launches, strikes, or interceptions "since Sunday, marking more than two days without such activity."
Lebanese President Rejects Occupation and Foreign Tutelage
Under US pressure, Lebanese officials began direct talks with Israel in Washington in April, seeking to separate the negotiations from the US-Iran deal. President Aoun stated: "We accept nothing less than an end to the Israeli occupation and at the same time, the fall of foreign tutelage," according to his office. He has previously accused Iran of using Lebanon as a "bargaining chip."
Aoun said the Washington talks "aim to lay solid ground for a clear program that leads to the full realization of Lebanon's demands, which would pave the way for achieving a real and lasting peace." He expressed hope the current round would be "decisive" in achieving "the full restoration of Lebanon's sovereignty." Aoun also spoke by telephone with French President Emmanuel Macron, discussing the situation "in light of the results of the US-Iran negotiations."
Hezbollah Ally Berri Also Speaks to Macron
Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally who acts as an intermediary for the group, also spoke to Macron, emphasizing "the importance of consolidating the ceasefire" and Israel's withdrawal.
Background to the Conflict
Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground offensive that Lebanon says have killed more than 4,100 people. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces in Lebanon retained "full freedom of action to thwart any direct or developing threat."
