Lebanon’s FM announces that Lebanese government is committed to increasing its military presence in southern part of country
Date
11/11/2024 7:00:32 AM
(MENAFN) Lebanon’s Foreign Minister, Abdullah Bouhabib, announced on Sunday that the Lebanese government is committed to increasing its military presence in the southern part of the country. During the Arab-Islamic ministerial meeting in Riyadh, Bouhabib revealed plans to recruit and train 1,500 new military personnel to support the deployment of an additional 5,000 soldiers, reinforcing the approximately 4,500 troops currently stationed in the region.
Bouhabib strongly condemned Israel's continuous attacks on Lebanon, highlighting the systematic killing of civilians, including women, children, the elderly, medical staff, and journalists, by Israeli forces. He emphasized that Lebanon’s cultural and historical heritage, including ancient landmarks and olive groves, has been destroyed as part of Israel's strategy to establish a lifeless buffer zone along Lebanon’s southern border, a form of environmental terrorism that threatens both human and biological life.
The minister also stressed the dire humanitarian situation in Lebanon, where one in four people, or over 1.5 million citizens, have been displaced, many of whom are living without access to basic needs.
Bouhabib reiterated Lebanon’s call for a sustainable resolution to the conflict, advocating for an immediate ceasefire, the restoration of calm along the border, and the safe return of all displaced individuals to their homes. He called for the full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701, which would reaffirm Lebanon's sovereignty over the south and ensure the region remains free of armed groups without the Lebanese government’s approval.
In early October, Israel launched a "limited" ground operation in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah positions and infrastructure in several villages near the border, as reported by Bouhabib.
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