Lebanon's Foreign Minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, recently launched talks with foreign ministers from countries currently serving on the United Nations Security Council in order to begin a process for setting the country’s land border with Israel, mimicing the methed used to solve the maritime border issue. Lebanese television channel MTV reported on the move on Tuesday.
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The minister suggested the idea to the UNIFIL commander in Lebanon during a trilateral meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, according to the report. Bou Habib told the channel that "there are many issues with Israel regarding the border, and therefore we believe that delineating the border is the best solution.”
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Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib requested the talks on setting an official land border with Israel
(Photo: MTV)
“It’s a serious initiative – there are 13 points on which we disagree, seven of which are already practically resolved, and the remaining six can be negotiated. The main dispute is between the Blue Line and the 1949 Armistice Line," he said.
Bou Habib added that "this can solve the issue of Hezbollah tents and northern Ghajar as well as other problems, so that each side knows its border limits and acts accordingly."
The report added that Israel responded to the initiative through the UN and indicated that it has no current interest in pursuing it. The minister emphasized that "this idea is serious and can be a solution, but the move isn’t one meant to normalize relations."
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is expected to give a speech on Wednesday, which was planned in advance as part of an annual event, where he may address the issue of Hezbollah’s tents and the terror organization's accusations that Israel annexed the village of Ghajar.
Standing at the center of the struggle between Hezbollah and Israel is the allegation that Israel controls the northern territory of the Ghajar village in the Golan Heights, a territory that, according to a UN decision from 2000, belongs to Lebanon.
Almost a year ago, a new border fence was completed by Ghajar’s municipality, alongside a new wall. However, Hezbollah accuses the IDF of carrying out the work to occupy the Lebanese part of the village.
Alongside tensions surrounding Ghajar, friction between Israel and Hezbollah continues on another issue: The terrorist organization established two tents about three months ago in Israeli territory on Mount Dov, near the Lebanese border, and dismantled one of them about a week ago.
However, the number of people staying in the tent site didn’t change – between six to eight armed individuals – and they all congregated in the remaining tent.
On Tuesday, Amos Hochstein, U.S. President Joe Biden’s special envoy, arrived in Israel against the backdrop of tensions on the northern border. Hochstein arrived in the country discreetly and met secretly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi.