Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed his commitment to preventing war and safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty. In a statement released yesterday, he emphasized the critical need for dialogue over conflict.
The President’s remarks followed a cabinet meeting convened to address the outcomes of the 14th session of the Lebanon Military Technical Committee, also known as the Mechanism. The session took place in Naqoura, southern Lebanon.
President Aoun stated that his directives to the committee’s head focused on security negotiations. This encompasses the cessation of hostilities, withdrawal from occupied territories, border demarcation, and the repatriation of prisoners.
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Murqos clarified that the committee’s framework excludes economic cooperation or peace agreements. Political sources indicate that the Lebanese delegation’s role within the Mechanism is strictly limited to discussing security arrangements, cessation of hostilities, prisoner exchange, withdrawal of Israeli forces, and resolving disputed points along the Blue Line.
During the Mechanism meeting in Naqoura, the Lebanese side concentrated on alleged Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement and UN Resolution 1701, according to a statement from the Lebanese National News Agency. The Mechanism serves as a forum uniting Lebanon, Israel, and UNIFIL under American and French auspices, aiming to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
Re-launched in November 2024 after a ceasefire agreement, the Mechanism evolved from the Tripartite Committee established by Resolution 1701 after the July 2006 war. It functions as an indirect communication channel, facilitating the exchange of daily field reports and discussion of violations pertaining to air, sea, and the Blue Line.
According to a UN document, the Committee’s primary tasks include monitoring the ceasefire, establishing verification and inspection mechanisms in specific areas south of the Litani River, collecting and exchanging field information through UNIFIL, and supporting the Lebanese army’s deployment and control in the border region.
