Israeli media reveals details of a draft agreement to end the war on Lebanon

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Several Israeli media outlets reported on Wednesday that US envoy Amos Hochstein is working on drafting an agreement between Lebanon and Israel stipulating the withdrawal of the Israeli army from southern Lebanon.

The Israeli official Broadcasting Authority said on Wednesday that Hochstein is working on drafting an agreement between Israel and Lebanon, stipulating the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanon within a week, on condition that militarization operations are resumed if the agreement is breached.

According to the document, which contains main points of a possible agreement reads:

Israel and Lebanon acknowledge the importance of UN Resolution 1701.

These commitments won’t deprive Israel and Lebanon of the right to defend themselves, if necessary.

In addition to UNIFIL forces, the official Lebanese army will be the only armed force in southern Lebanon on Line A.

Under Resolution 1701, and in order to prevent the rebuilding and rearming of non-state armed groups in Lebanon, any arms sales to Lebanon, or their production within it, will be under the supervision of the Lebanese government.

The Lebanese government will be given the necessary powers to the Lebanese security forces to implement the decision.

Monitoring the entry of weapons across the Lebanese border.

Monitor and dismantle facilities not recognized by the government that produce weapons.

Dismantling any armed infrastructure that doesn’t abide by the obligations contained in the agreement and falls under line A.

According to the report, Israel will have to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon within seven days, and the Lebanese army will replace them.

The withdrawal will be supervised by the United States and another country.

A date will be set, which will be the maximum date by which the Lebanese army will deploy its forces along the borders and crossings.

Within 60 days of signing the agreement, Lebanon will have to disarm any unofficial military group in southern Lebanon.

In 2006, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1701, calling for a complete cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, after a 33-day war between Hezbollah and the Israeli army.

The resolution also calls for the creation of an area between the “Blue Line” (the dividing line between Lebanon and Israel) and the Litani River in southern Lebanon that is free of any armed men, military equipment and weapons, except those belonging to the Lebanese army and the UNIFIL peacekeeping force.

The draft indicated that the intended agreement between the two parties won’t prevent them from the right to defend themselves if the other party violates the agreement, and that the spread of weapons in southern Lebanon is prohibited except under the supervision of the Lebanese government itself.

The alleged agreement or draft stressed granting the Lebanese government the necessary powers to implement the decision to prevent Hezbollah from arming itself, while monitoring and dismantling military facilities that the government doesn’t recognize for producing weapons, as well as dismantling any armed infrastructure that does not comply with Resolution 1701.

The draft of the US envoy, Hochstein, indicated that the United States and other countries and international bodies are scheduled to supervise the implementation of the terms of the agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

In contrast, Israel Today newspaper quoted an unnamed political source as saying that “the draft referred to, which was leaked, is old and not relevant”.

For his part, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Wednesday that he hopes to reach a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel within the coming hours.

This came during a televised interview with Mikati on the local Lebanese TV channel after the spread of claims by the Israeli media about the existence of an agreement to stop the war reached by the US envoy Amos Hochstein during a visit to Beirut a few days ago, and based on an amended version of Resolution 1701.

Resolution 1701, issued on August 11, 2006, calls for a complete cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel at that time, and the establishment of a zone free of weapons and militants between the Blue Line (dividing Lebanon and Israel) and the Litani River in southern Lebanon, with the exception of Lebanese army forces and UNIFIL forces.

Mikati said, “We, as a government, guarantee the implementation of Resolution 1701 by the Lebanese army, which must immediately enter the areas from which the Israeli army will withdraw from southern Lebanon”.

He explained that he contacted the US envoy, Hochstein who informed him that he was on his way to Tel Aviv as part of the efforts he is conducting between Lebanon and Israel.

Mikati added, “We hope to reach a ceasefire in the coming hours”.

On the other hand, and in his first speech after being chosen as the new Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Wednesday that they are facing a global war against the resistance that isn’t limited to Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, stressing that they won’t accept stopping it except on their terms based on a ceasefire first and indirect negotiations.

He explained that the ongoing political movement is without results, as it hasn’t put forward a project that Israel agrees to and that is open to discussion.

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