Nabih Barri: Negotiations with Israel while being attacked are not impossible.
According to the Yeni Shafaq news agency, in a meeting with ambassadors of the UN Security Council member states held at the office of the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament in Ain Al-Tina, west of Beirut, Nabih Berri stressed the importance of adhering to the ceasefire agreement, referring to Security Council Resolution 1701, which was passed in 2006 after the 33-day war between Hezbollah and the Israeli army.
She warned that the continuation of the Israeli regime’s attacks on Lebanon could lead to a resumption of the war, and stressed that negotiating with Israel under fire is unacceptable.
The Speaker of the Lebanese House of Representatives added that the stability of southern Lebanon is only possible with the Israeli regime’s adherence to Resolution 1701, stopping the daily violations of the ceasefire agreement, and withdrawing the Israeli army forces behind international borders.
Berri also referred to the role of the five-party committee known as the Mechanism, which includes Lebanon, France, Israel, the United States, and UNIFIL forces, which is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, adding: “This committee must force Israel to immediately stop the attacks.”
The meeting was also attended by General Deodato Abanyara, Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNIFIL), and Omran Riza, the UN Resident Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in Lebanon.
Before this meeting, the ambassadors of the UN Security Council member states had met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
During the meeting, the Lebanese President announced that the talks with Israel would aim to stop the regime’s hostile actions, return Lebanese prisoners, and plan for the withdrawal of Israeli army forces behind international borders.
Joseph Aoun had previously announced Lebanon’s readiness to negotiate with Israel to consolidate the agreement and stop the regime’s ceasefire violations, but Tel Aviv did not respond to this.
According to the schedule, the ambassadors of the UN Security Council member states and the Security Council delegation are also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Foreign Minister Youssef Reggi, and Lebanese Army Commander Rodolphe Heikal.
Meanwhile, the Israeli media had previously reported that Israel was preparing for a military conflict in Lebanon, attributing this move to Hezbollah’s increased capabilities.
Since the US-France-backed ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon came into effect on November 27, 2024 the Israeli regime has violated the ceasefire thousands of times, resulting in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Lebanese and extensive financial losses to southern Lebanon.
In addition, the Israeli regime continues to occupy five Lebanese hills that it captured in the recent war, despite this agreement.