Lebanon Asks US-France Assistance To Press Israel To Comply With Ceasefire

JAKARTA - Lebanese top officials urged Washington and Paris to pressure Israel to comply with the ceasefire, after dozens of military operations in Lebanese land that Beirut deemed a violation.

Israel's deadly attack in southern Lebanon and the launch of Hezbollah's rocket against Israeli military posts on Monday put the US-brokered ceasefire between the two in an increasingly fragile position less than a week after the ceasefire was imposed.

Lebanese interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close ally of Hezbollah who negotiated an agreement on behalf of Lebanon, spoke with officials at the White House and French presidency on Monday evening and expressed concern about the ceasefire, the source said. said.

Neither the French presidency nor the foreign ministry could be reached for comment.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Monday, saying both sides must comply with the ceasefire.

US State Department spokesman Matt Miller told reporters on Monday that the ceasefire was "ongoing" and the US had anticipated possible violations.

The ceasefire took effect on November 27 and barred Israel from carrying out offensive military operations in Lebanon while requiring Lebanon to prevent armed groups, including Hezbollah, from launching attacks on Israel.

The agreement gives Israeli forces 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon.

The surveillance mechanism chaired by the United States is tasked with monitoring, verifying and helping enforce the ceasefire, but the mechanism has not yet started functioning.

Berri on Monday urged him to "immediately" ensure Israel stop its offenses, saying that Beirut had recorded at least 54 Israeli violations of the ceasefire so far.

Israel says its sustainable military activity in Lebanon aims to enforce a ceasefire and not violate its obligations based on a ceasefire.

Mikati on Monday met with US General Total Jeffers in Beirut who will lead the monitoring committee, stressing the need for Israeli troops to step down immediately.

Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters the French representative for the committee, General Guillaume Ponchin, was due to arrive in Beirut on Wednesday and the committee will hold its first meeting on Thursday.

There is an urgency to resolve this mechanism, otherwise it will be too late, the source said, referring to the gradual increase in Israeli attacks despite a ceasefire.