Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Photo: radiosvoboda.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati visited military positions in the south of the country, almost a month after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah. The visit, which took place in the city of Marjayoun, underlined the importance of implementing the agreement, which provides for the deployment of the Lebanese army in the liberated territories and the complete withdrawal of the Israeli and Hezbollah armed forces by the end of next month.
This was reported by the Time Ukraine Israel portal, citing Channel 9 Israel.
Prime Minister’s statement
During a meeting with Lebanese Army Chief Joseph Aoun, Mikati stressed that the main goal is to return all the land taken during the latest escalation. “Only then will the Lebanese army be able to perform its duties in full,” the Prime Minister said.
Mikati also accused Israel of delaying the implementation of the agreement and called on France and the United States to intervene to speed up the withdrawal of Israeli troops within the stipulated 60-day period. He published this statement on his page on the social network X, adding a photo with soldiers on the front line.
Impact on the army and the economy
In his speech, the prime minister stressed the Lebanese army’s dependence on external financial assistance, in particular from the United States and other Western countries. He expressed the hope that the end of the war would help to increase funding and strengthen the army’s capacity to ensure security on the southern borders.
As the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reminds us, the economic crisis in Lebanon has long made it difficult to finance state institutions. The government needs to restore stability in order to attract the investment and international support needed to modernise its military.
The prime minister’s call is part of a broader effort to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty and maintain peace in the region after years of conflict.
