From Beirut, where he completed a Middle Eastern tour on Sunday, November 24, the last before the end of his mandate, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, called for a “immediate ceasefire” between Israel and Hezbollah. “We see only one possible path: an immediate ceasefire and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701”said Mr. Borrell after talks with the resigning Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the head of Parliament, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah who is leading the negotiations for the Lebanese side.
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Resolution 1701, which ended the previous war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, stipulates that only the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force for Lebanon (UNIFIL) be deployed on the southern border. This involves the withdrawal of Hezbollah from South Lebanon, and that of Israeli soldiers who have been carrying out a ground offensive there since the end of September.
“We must put pressure on the Israeli government and maintain pressure on Hezbollah so that they accept the American ceasefire proposal”said Mr. Borrell. This thirteen-point proposal, providing for a sixty-day truce and the application of “1701”, was discussed by American special envoy Amos Hochstein in Lebanon and Israel this week.
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Very committed to this issue, the Spanish diplomat, who will hand over to the Estonian Kaja Kallas, on 1is December, assured that the European Union (EU) was “ready to continue supporting the Lebanese army”, notably the “significant logistical needs necessary for the redeployment of a force of approximately 10,000 soldiers in South Lebanon. »
“I don’t see the Israeli government clearly interested in reaching a ceasefire agreement”he regretted, stressing that Hezbollah has accepted the principle since September. New conditions have been set by Israel since the finalization, on Wednesday, of a draft agreement by MM. Berri and Hochstein. Josep Borrell mentioned Israel's refusal to accept France as a member of the international committee responsible for overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire. “France wants to help. Lebanon must say whether it wants France to participate or not”he urged.
“The two-state solution”
The head of European diplomacy estimated that “many things can be done” to put pressure on Israel. “ The question is the political will of Americans and Europeanshe continued. Until now, we have only used diplomatic pressure. It doesn't seem to me that it worked much. » Josep Borrell expressed concern about public declarations by members of the Netanyahu government in favor of annexation of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and southern Lebanon. “We ask the international community to act and to do it quickly, so as not to have more civilians killed, displaced, and more destruction”he urged.
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