Lebanon urges cease-fire monitoring committee to end Israeli violations

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on a cease-fire monitoring committee on Tuesday to pressure Israel to halt its violations and withdraw from areas under its control in southern Lebanon.

Speaking during a meeting of the cease-fire monitoring committee, Mikati stressed the need to "stop the Israeli violations and to immediately withdraw Israeli forces from the border areas in southern Lebanon."

The Lebanese government said in a statement that Mikati reiterated Lebanon's commitment to the agreement, calling the Israeli violations of the cease-fire deal "unacceptable."

He urged the monitoring committee to "pressure Israel to implement the terms of the cease-fire agreement, particularly withdrawing from occupied areas and halting its violations."

The committee also includes representatives of the US, France, Israel, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Under the terms of the Nov. 27 cease-fire, Israel is required to withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line-a de facto border-in phases, while the Lebanese army is to deploy in southern Lebanon within 60 days.

More than 4,000 people were killed and over 16,500 injured in Israeli attacks in Lebanon, in addition to over 1 million displaced since October 2023, according to Lebanese health authorities.