Lebanon and the European Union Express Concern Over Israel's Ongoing Violations of the Ceasefire

On Monday, Lebanon and the European Union expressed their concern over Israel's ongoing violations of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon, and called on Tel Aviv to "withdraw from Lebanese territories and respect international humanitarian law".

This came in a joint statement issued after the ninth meeting of the Partnership Council between the European Union and Lebanon in the Belgian capital, Brussels, attended by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the Union, Kaja Kallas, and Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajeh.

In the statement, both sides renewed "their commitment to strengthening the bilateral partnership and supporting the partnership agreement and its priorities".

According to the statement, "the European Union reiterated its support for the reforms launched by the new Lebanese authorities under President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam", calling for "the necessity of disarming all illegal armed groups and implementing UN Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 1701".

Resolution 1701, issued on August 11, 2006, calls for an end to combat operations between "Hezbollah" and Israel at the time, and the establishment of a weapons-free zone between the Blue Line and the Litani River in southern Lebanon, except for the Lebanese army and the UNIFIL peacekeeping force.

On August 5, the Lebanese Council of Ministers approved the monopolization of weapons by the state, including those held by "Hezbollah", and tasked the army with developing and implementing a plan before the end of 2025.

However, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has said on more than one occasion that the party rejects this and demands the withdrawal of the Israeli army from all Lebanese territories.

Both sides expressed "their concern over Israel's ongoing violations of the ceasefire", calling on Tel Aviv to "withdraw from Lebanese territories and respect international humanitarian law".

Israel has killed more than 4,000 people and injured nearly 17,000 others during its aggression on Lebanon, which it launched in October 2023, before turning it into a full-scale war in September 2024.

It has also breached the ceasefire agreement in effect since November 27, 2024, more than 4,500 times, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries, in addition to its occupation of 5 Lebanese hills it seized in the recent war, plus other areas it has occupied for decades.

The joint statement mentioned that the two sides also discussed the file of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

The European Union renewed its commitment to support Lebanon and "work towards a voluntary, safe, and dignified return of refugees to Syria", according to the same source.

According to UN estimates, more than 378,000 Syrian refugees have returned from Lebanon to their country since the overthrow of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024.