Macron calls on Israel to accelerate the withdrawal of troops from southern Lebanon | Politics News
France’s Emmanuel Macron is the first foreign head of state to visit Beirut since Joseph Aoun was elected president of Lebanon.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Israel to accelerate the withdrawal of its troops from southern Lebanon as the deadline for withdrawal under the terms of a ceasefire that ended the war with Hezbollah approaches last year.
During a visit to Beirut on Friday, Macron also said the Lebanese army must have a complete monopoly on weapons, and expressed France’s support for strengthening the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south of the country.
“We need the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army,” Macron said, speaking alongside Lebanon’s new president, Joseph Aounwho was commander of the Lebanese army until his election this month as head of state.
“We support… the increased power of the Lebanese armed forces and their deployment in the south of the country,” the French president said.
Macron is the first foreign head of state to visit Beirut since Lebanon’s parliament elected Aoun to fill the vacant head of state post on January 9, signaling a shift in the country’s balance of power after a war that left Iran-friendly Hezbollah badly weakened.
The ceasefire, which took effect on November 27 and was brokered by the United States and France, calls for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon within 60 days and for Hezbollah to remove all its fighters and weapons from the south.
The Lebanese army must also deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south while the Israeli army withdraws by January 26.
With just over a week to go until the deadline, Macron called for an accelerated implementation of the ceasefire.
“There were results, but they must be accelerated and long-lasting. A complete withdrawal of Israeli forces is required, and the Lebanese army must have a complete monopoly over all weapons in southern Lebanon, Macron said.
A committee composed of Israeli, Lebanese, French and American envoys together with a representative of the UN peacekeeping force was tasked with overseeing the implementation cease-fire.
Macron also announced that Paris will host an international conference on the reconstruction of Lebanon in the coming weeks.
“As soon as the president [Aoun] comes to Paris in a few weeks, we will organize an international reconstruction conference around him to raise funds,” Macron said.
“The international community must prepare for massive support for infrastructure reconstruction.”
Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said that, according to the French president, “spring has arrived in Lebanon.”
“He talks about the new reality in the country, the new leadership. … Macron’s visit is part of a show of support for this new leadership,” she said.
Khodr added that in his statement to the media, Macron also referred to the reforms that Lebanon needs to undertake, whether in the judiciary, the financial sector or the public sector, as the new Lebanese government is formed.
