German FM rejects 'any permanent occupation' by Israel on Lebanon visit

Top German diplomat Annalena Baerbock, on a visit to Beirut on Wednesday, said her government rejected "any permanent occupation" of Lebanese territory by Israel, whose troops remain in the country's south despite a November truce.

The November 27 ceasefire agreement ended a war between Israel and Hezbollah, but Israel has since continued to carry out strikes and maintained a military presence in five locations in southern Lebanon, near the border.

"As Europeans, we reject any permanent occupation of Lebanese territory by Israeli troops, because Hezbollah will only use this as a further excuse for terrorist activities and its so-called 'resistance'," the German foreign minister said.

Hezbollah's military wing is proscribed as a "terrorist organization" by the European Union.

Baerbock met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who according to a statement said that Israel's "continued occupation" of areas of southern Lebanon "runs counter to the agreement of last November".

He also said the Israeli presence "hinders the implementation of (U.N. Security Council) Resolution 1701", which ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and served as the foundation for the November truce.

"Israel has refused all Lebanese proposals to evacuate the five hills still occupied" by its troops and "to replace them with international forces", Aoun told Baerbock according to the presidency's statement.

Hezbollah initiated hostilities with Israel in October 2023, saying it was acting in support of Palestinian ally Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The cross-border exchanges escalated into a full-blown war that left Hezbollah weakened.

"Let me... make it very clear at this point: the stabilization of the situation in Lebanon is also a result of Hezbollah's influence being decisively pushed back," Baerbock said.

"Hezbollah had the entire country... in its dangerous grip" before the war, she added.

The recent political stability "finally offers the opportunity to address the urgently needed reforms that have been on the table for a long time", Baerbock said.

She mentioned "above all, implementing the agreements reached with the International Monetary Fund", which was "essential for our continued support of Lebanon".

The Israel-Hezbollah war has devastated parts of Lebanon, already reeling from an unprecedented economic crisis since 2019.

The World Bank has estimated the cost of post-war reconstruction at $11 billion.