'Quiet' understanding between Lebanon, Israel and U.S. on five occupied hills
There is a "quiet understanding" between Lebanon, Israel and the U.S. that Israel's presence in south Lebanon will continue for several weeks or months "until the Lebanese army stabilizes the situation in southern Lebanon and ensures Hezbollah is no longer a threat," Axios said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has approved an exception to expend $95 million of foreign military funding to Lebanon's army, according to the American news website, which quoted a U.S. official as saying that Joseph Aoun's presidency is "a historic opportunity to change the reality in Lebanon for the better."
Aoun, a former army chief thought to be backed by Riyadh and Washington, was elected on January 9, ending a more than two-year power vacuum amid a crippling political and economic crisis. Aoun has good relations with Washington, the main financial backer of Lebanon's army. His election was seen as a blow to Hezbollah.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect in November 27, after more than two months of all-out war during which Israel launched ground operations.
Under the deal, Lebanon's military was to deploy in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period that was later extended to February 18.
Hezbollah was to pull back north of the Litani River -- about 30 kilometers from the border -- and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.
The Israeli army remained at five "strategic points" inside Lebanon, past the deadline for troop withdrawal from south Lebanon under a late November ceasefire agreement. Israel's Defense Minister said Israel has received a U.S. green light to "indefinitely" keep its forces on the five strategic hills.
"We will leave small amounts of troops deployed temporarily in five strategic points along the border in Lebanon so we can continue to defend our residents and to make sure there's no immediate threat," Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani had said. "This is a temporary measure until the Lebanese armed forces are able to fully implement the understanding," he added.
During an Arab Summit in Cairo Tuesday, Aoun said "there can be no peace without the liberation of the last inch of our occupied land that is internationally-recognized and U.N.-documented."
Source: Naharnet
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