Report: US says Israel to withdraw in 15 days but will keep strategic hills

U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein said during the latest meeting of the ceasefire monitoring committee that Israel would withdraw within 15 days from south Lebanon’s western, central and eastern sectors, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Hochstein and the committee’s co-chair, U.S. general Jasper Jeffers, also “agreed to an Israeli plan to keep control of three strategic hills” inside Lebanon, the daily added.

According to informed sources, Hochstein’s “plan” is divided into three phases.

“During the first five days, there will be a withdrawal from the western sector between Ras al-Naqoura and Rmeish. In the next five days, there will be a withdrawal from the central sector between Rmeish and Mays al-Jabal, while in the final five days there will be a withdrawal from the eastern sector between Mays al-Jabal and Shebaa,” the sources said.

Israel will meanwhile build “military bases” on three strategic hills inside Lebanon, al-Akhbar reported.

According to the sources, the three hills are the al-Labbouneh forest in the outskirts of Naqoura and Alma al-Shaab; the Blat mountain between Marwahin, Ramyeh, Beit Leef and Qawzah; and the al-Hamamis hill between the plains of Khiam and al-Wazzani.

The three hills face the Israeli settlements of the Western Galilee, the settlements of Zar’it and Shtula, and the settlement of Metula.

These hills allow Israel to “expose vast areas in the three sectors south of the Litani River,” the sources added.

“These are uninhabited hills that contain no buildings, which allows the occupation forces to easily move toward Lebanese territory to carry out an attack if needed,” the sources said.