Najib Mikati says he will meet with 5-member committee tasked with monitoring cease-fire implementation
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Monday that the army is capable of assuming its mission in the south after the Israeli withdrawal from the area.
Mikati visited a Lebanese military barracks in the southern city of Marjayoun, in the first visit to the frontline since a cease-fire deal with Israel came into force on Nov. 27.
"The army has always proved to be the symbol of this nation's unity, and all the Lebanese stand by its side," Mikati said.
The Lebanese premier said he will hold a meeting with the five-member committee tasked with monitoring the implementation of the Lebanon-Israel cease-fire, without specifying a date for the meeting.
The five-member committee includes representatives from the US, France, Lebanon, Israel, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Mikati said the Lebanese government has "a lot of tasks ahead," including the Israeli army's withdrawal from all Lebanese southern territories, after which the Lebanese army will fully perform its mission.
Under the cease-fire terms, 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.
