Lebanese Army chief meets US general over cease-fire monitoring

BEIRUT

The Lebanese Army commander held discussions on Thursday with US Gen. Jasper Jeffers, head of the five-nation oversight committee monitoring the new cease-fire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

The meeting, held at Gen. Joseph Aoun’s office in Yarzeh near the capital Beirut, addressed “general developments and coordination mechanisms among the parties in southern Lebanon involved in cease-fire implementation,” according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. Details of the discussion were not disclosed.

The cease-fire came into force on Wednesday, ending over 14 months of fighting between the Israeli army and the Hezbollah group.

Under the terms of the cease-fire, Israel will withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line de facto border in a phased manner while the Lebanese army deploys its forces in southern Lebanon within 60 days.

The five-nation oversight committee is made up of the US, France, Lebanon, Israel, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

As of now, no official details have been released on the mechanisms to implement these provisions or the oversight committee’s specific operations.

Nearly 4,000 people have been killed and over 16,500 injured in Israeli attacks in Lebanon and over 1 million displaced since October 2023, according to Lebanese health authorities.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul