BEIRUT, Lebanon – Israel maintains its troops in five locations on Lebanon’s territory, raising fears that it is planning a new long-term occupation.
Israel was initially requested to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon on January 26 as part of a ceasefire agreement with Lebanese group Hezbollah, which came into effect on November 27th.
As part of the agreement, Israeli forces and Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah will withdraw from southern Lebanon, a long-controlled region, so that the Lebanese Army and UN peacekeepers can deploy and control the region. I’ve done it.
However, Israeli forces stayed in several Lebanese villages since January and pushed the Lebanese government and Hezbollah to accept a new time frame for Israel’s withdrawal on February 18th.
The deadline has now passed and Israel is still refusing to leave Lebanon for good.
This is everything you need to know about the meaning of Israeli occupation.
Why is Israel in Lebanon in the first place?
On October 1, 2024, Israel sent its troops across the northern border to Lebanon as part of a wider war with Hezbollah.
Israel and Hezbollah were engaged in low-intensity conflicts almost a year ago. The clash began a day after Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel began a war with Gaza.
Hezbollah has launched a clash with the stated purpose of putting pressure on Israel to end the war with Gaza.
However, the stated purpose is to gradually escalate the conflict with Hezbollah instead, and to secure its own borders so that thousands of Israelis can eventually return to villages in northern Israel. Invaded South Lebanon. The Israelites were forced to leave due to the fires of Hezbollah rockets, just as the vast strip of southern Lebanon was depopulated as a result of Israeli attacks.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed around 4,000 people (many civilians) and uprooted hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.
Why are Israelis staying in Lebanon?
Simply put, the Lebanese army now has no strength or ability to drive Israel out of its territory if it does not want to leave it.
The ceasefire agreement is to be monitored by a peacekeeping mechanism chaired by the United States and involving France. The United States is Israel’s closest ally and generally allows Israel to betray verbal commitments and commitments under international law.
The US does not seem to push Israel to completely withdraw from Lebanon’s territory in line with a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.
On the contrary, Israel claims it will remain “five strategic points” until the Lebanese military fully implements the trading aspect.
Some experts believe that Israel’s presence and refusal to withdraw could ultimately rekindle hostilities.
Where exactly are they staying?
Israeli forces remain on five hills sitting at various points along the Lebanese border with Israel. They are Al Aziyah, Al Awaidah, El Hamamez, Jabal Virat and Lovebuune.
It should also be noted that for decades Israel had occupied the Shebaa Farm, a small area along the Golan Heights border in Lebanon and Syria. Lebanon claims the Shebaa Farm is its own, but Israel says it is part of Golan Heights, referring to existing disagreements between Syria and Lebanon dating back to the 1940s.
What was the response?
The Lebanese government has opposed the prolonged presence of Israel on its territory and said Israel must withdraw as part of a ceasefire agreement.
Israel claimed that the action was a “temporary measure” and was approved by a US-led body monitoring the ceasefire.
However, Lebanon President Joseph Orn previously raised concerns that the deadline would not allow a complete withdrawal.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem called on the Lebanese government to enforce a ceasefire agreement, saying on February 18 that Israel “must withdraw” and that “no excuses.”
“It is the Lebanese state’s responsibility to withdraw Israel,” he said in a speech aired.
Hezbollah also said he would consider Israeli forces still in Lebanon’s soil as occupying forces. The group previously fought the occupation of Lebanon, southern Israel, which had grown since the 1980s. In 2000, they forced the Israeli army.
But Israeli and US leaders have rejected it.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on the Lebanese state to completely disarm Hezbollah, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised Israel to “enforce” the ceasefire agreement.
European diplomats spoke more reconciliatory. Last week, France proposed that UN peacekeepers would maintain a ceasefire and replace Israeli forces with five hills to ensure mutual security.
Unifil South Lebanon’s UN peacekeeping mission has also issued a statement saying it hoped Israel would withdraw without further delay.
“Another delay in this process is not what we wanted, especially as we continue to violate UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006). However, this was something that was understood in late November. “We should not overshadow concrete progress since it was implemented,” Unifil said in a statement.
Is Israel’s actions legal?
Srinivas Brah, a legal scholar and professor at South Asia University in New Delhi, India, said Israel’s invasion of Lebanon before the ceasefire agreement was illegal and its continued existence appears to be illegal in violation of the agreement. told Al Jazeera that it was illegal.
Furthermore, Bala said the only reliable argument that Israel can call is that the Lebanese army cannot secure Lebanon’s south from Hezbollah. Still, he said Israel must show that its occupation is temporary by specifying a new time frame for its withdrawal.
“I think there’s a weak argument in Israel that they’ll stay. [Lebanon]Bula told Al Jazeera.
But Michael Becker, an assistant professor of international law at Trinity University in Dublin, says there may be a legal basis for Israel to remain in South Lebanon.
He said that according to international law, other parties are entitled to suspend their obligations on the contract if they “do not fulfill their obligations essential to achieving the overall objectives of the agreement.”
He further stated that the conditions for the ceasefire stipulate that Israel should “retreat” from Lebanon in 60 days. The language indicates that a time frame for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon is a recommendation.
“In the end, Israel’s decision not to complete [army’s] The 60-day withdrawal from Lebanon strongly points to the need for all parties to identify clear benchmarks to facilitate completion of Israel’s withdrawal,” he told Al Jazeera.
Since 1967, Israel has occupied Palestinian territory, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, and, like last year’s International Judicial Advisory Opinion, it has repeatedly ignored UN resolutions to end the occupation. You should be careful. The occupation and establishment of settlements in the occupied territories was illegal under international law.
What happens next?
Israel warns that it is ready to resume hostilities. So far, Israeli forces have not hesitated to target residents returning home. At least 22 people died in Israeli forces on January 26th, and the first deadline for retreat.
On that side, Hezbollah was deeply attacked by a war with Israel. Israel lost much of its top leadership and reportedly lost a significant amount of its Arsenal. I don’t want to give Israelis the right to resume Lebanon’s bombing targets.
Yet Israel’s claim that it remains at its border location sets an obstacle to the efforts of the newly formed Lebanese government to gain national trust.
Lebanon said it is working diplomatically with the US, France and Unifil for a solution that respects its sovereignty.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Raj said on local television on Monday that Unifil proposed to take over five points occupied by Israel. However, he added that the proposal was rejected.
Source link
