Lebanese Military Demands Complete Withdrawal Of Israeli Forces From Country's South

Israel must withdraw the rest of its forces from southern Lebanon and cease violations of the country's air and maritime space, senior officers from the Lebanese Armed Forces said at a tripartite meeting chaired by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Thursday.

BEIRUT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th October, 2018) Israel must withdraw the rest of its forces from southern Lebanon and cease violations of the country's air and maritime space, senior officers from the Lebanese Armed Forces said at a tripartite meeting chaired by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Thursday.

The tripartite meetings between representatives of the Lebanese and Israeli armed forces under the UN auspices have been held on a regular basis in the Lebanese southern city of Naqoura since the end of the 2006 Lebanon War.

"The Lebanese party has expressed its commitment to the position of the Lebanese government on the country's territorial integrity, maritime border and oil resources.

The Lebanese party has provided information about the violations of air space, territorial waters, land borders, and constant provocations, and demanded that this [behavior] should be stopped. It has also voiced its demand for the liberation of Shebaa farms, Kfarchouba Heights, and the settlement of Ghajar," the Lebanese military said in a statement obtained by Sputnik.

UNIFIL was originally established in 1978 to ensure Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and restore peace and security. Following the war between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah movement in July-August 2006, the UN Security Council significantly enhanced and expanded the original mandate.