Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib rejected an Israeli demand to remove a tent set up by Hezbollah on Israeli territory, insisting that the tent is on Lebanese territory and demanding that Israel withdraw from the northern half of the city of Ghajar on Monday.
Bou Habib stated that during a meeting with UNIFIL commander Aroldo Lázaro on Monday, “the security situation in the south was discussed and the demand from the Israeli side to withdraw the ‘tent’ was conveyed to us.” Our response was that we want them to withdraw from northern Ghajar, which is considered Lebanese territory. For our part, we recorded about 18 violations of the Israeli border.”
In a subsequent meeting with UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka and US Ambassador to Beirut Dorothy Shea, Bou Habib stressed the need to demarcate land borders between Lebanon and Israel in tripartite meetings, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
Bou Habib also informed the two that Lebanon intended to file a complaint with the UN Security Council regarding Israel’s presence in the northern part of Ghajar.
Also, on Monday, Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, stated that the tent set up by Hezbollah is on Lebanese territory, adding that “what is required of the international community is to compel Israel to implement Resolution 1701 and withdraw from the northern part of Ghajar Village, Shebaa Farms, Kfarchouba Hills and Point B1 [north of Rosh Hanikra].”
