Mikati Calls for Immediate Ceasefire, 8,000 Troops Deployed in South

On Thursday, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for an immediate ceasefire and the full enforcement of the U.N. resolution that ended the last conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. He also proposed deploying 8,000 Lebanese troops to a buffer zone along the Israeli border.

Speaking at a conference in Paris in support of Lebanon, Mikati emphasized the devastating toll the ongoing war has taken on Lebanon, describing the widespread destruction and human suffering it has caused. “The Israeli aggression has resulted in immense human loss and has severely damaged our infrastructure, economy, and social fabric,” he stated.

Mikati expressed regret that civilian lives and destruction could have been avoided if Israel had agreed to the joint statement issued on September 25. He reiterated Lebanon’s call for an immediate ceasefire and urged the deployment of Lebanese forces south of the Litani River to enforce peace. “What Lebanon needs most today is an instant ceasefire, and we are counting on your pressure to make this happen,” he told the international community.

Though the Lebanese Army has largely stayed out of the latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, it claims Israeli forces have targeted its soldiers eight times, resulting in deaths and injuries. Israel apologized for a fatal strike on Sunday.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, called for the withdrawal of Hezbollah and Israeli forces from areas south of Lebanon’s Litani River, leaving control to the Lebanese Army and U.N. peacekeepers. Israel has argued that the resolution was never fully enforced, accusing Hezbollah of building military infrastructure up to the border. Lebanon, in turn, has criticized Israel for violating provisions like infringing on its airspace.

The Lebanese Army has around 80,000 personnel, with about 5,000 stationed in the south. Representing the army at the Paris conference, Brig. Gen. Youssef Haddad said Lebanon is recruiting an additional 1,500 soldiers to help implement the U.N. resolution.

Hezbollah, which boasts tens of thousands of fighters, remains a powerful force, and Lebanon’s military lacks the strength to confront the group or resist an Israeli ground invasion.