Following the visit of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun to the western sector of the southern border and the headquarters of UNIFIL forces, high-level communications have been activated both internally and externally urging the Lebanese authorities to fulfill their commitments to Resolution 1701. According to diplomatic information to "Nidaa Al-Watan," as long as Lebanon has stated its commitment to this resolution, it is necessary to appoint the army and UNIFIL forces to control the southern borders and to ensure the withdrawal of Hezbollah and the Palestinians.
An international message with this content has been conveyed to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Mikati. When asked if there is any alternative to appointing the army and UNIFIL to control the southern borders, diplomatic sources responded: "There are no other plans or solutions apart from this step; otherwise, the so-called new rules of engagement practiced by Hezbollah mean a potential slide into war, given the scale of casualties on both sides of the border."
The sources added: "In order to eliminate Hezbollah's justification that connects the southern front to Israel's ground incursion into Gaza, as well as to cancel Israel's justification for waging war, Lebanon, through the step of the army and international forces, will receive an American international guarantee that war will not occur. However, at the moment, this guarantee cannot be obtained, which opens the door to the possibility that Israel is the one wanting war, or that Hezbollah is requesting war at the request of Iran."
The sources confirmed, "The elimination of the justifications of both Israel and Hezbollah will be through the army and UNIFIL's control of the borders, so there would be an international guarantee of peace in Lebanon, thus making the international community responsible for keeping Lebanon out of war." The sources concluded by stating that France has noted that "an inevitable strike will be directed by Israel at Lebanon, and it is impossible to avoid it except by appointing the army and international forces to control the southern borders, in implementation of Resolution 1701, but they have not yet received a response from the Lebanese authorities, which has raised the displeasure of the French presidency."
