Lebanon officially replies to French paper

Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib on Friday met with French Ambassador to Lebanon Herve Magro and handed him Lebanon’s official response to the paper that has been recently submitted by Paris as part of its efforts to pacify the situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border.

Expressing Lebanon’s “deep appreciation for the French efforts,” Bou Habib said the Lebanese response describes the French initiative as “an important step to reach peace and security in south Lebanon.”

“The Foreign Ministry reiterated the Lebanese stance that does not seek war and demands the full and comprehensive implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701,” Bou Habib added.

Al-Jadeed TV had earlier reported that Lebanon’s response “included a general vision in which Lebanon expressed its readiness for an instant implementation of Resolution 1701 on the condition that Israel abide by implementing its stipulations.”

Lebanon also expressed its “readiness for the resumption of tripartite meetings in Naqoura” between representatives of UNIFIL and the Lebanese and Israeli armies, al-Jadeed added.

France’s proposal would involve Hezbollah withdrawing its forces 10 kilometers from the border with Israel., a Lebanese government official has recently told The Associated Press.

Since October 8, Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily fire. At least 322 people have been killed on the Lebanese side since fighting erupted, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including 56 civilians. On the Israeli side, 10 soldiers and seven civilians have been killed according to the Israeli army.

The fighting has also displaced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border and Israel has repeatedly warned that it might launch an operation against Hezbollah to secure its residents' return.