Massad Boulos, senior adviser to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, considered the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel historic for both countries, and its significance will become more apparent in the coming weeks and months.
In an interview with
Le Point magazine, Boulos said, "The agreement is comprehensive and covers all the necessary points. There was some misunderstanding initially, especially in Lebanon, where some believed the document only related to the area south of the Litani River, but this is not true. The agreement covers the entire country and addresses the issue of disarming all armed groups, whether militias or paramilitary groups."
He emphasized that the text clearly implements U.N. resolutions, including resolutions 1701 and 1559. According to these resolutions, only specific institutions are allowed to hold weapons in Lebanon, namely the Lebanese Army, Internal Security Forces, Customs, and Municipal Police.
Boulos noted that "estimates suggest that about 70% of strategic weapons, missile storage, and drones were destroyed during this conflict. What remains is supposed to be the responsibility of the Lebanese state, specifically the Lebanese Army, to disarm the militias and paramilitary groups."
He acknowledged that this would not happen overnight and would likely take months, if not more. However, the ceasefire agreement approved by the Lebanese Cabinet gives the Lebanese Army full authority to begin its implementation. Under the text, the army is also responsible for monitoring the flow of weapons from the Syrian border, Beirut Airport, and the capital's port, which are now under its control.
When asked whether the agreement is still valid, given the Lebanese authorities' accusations that Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, Boulos replied, "Yes, this is true, but the situation is similar on the other side as well. This is not surprising. We are now in a testing phase that will last for 60 days, and the text itself talks about each side's right to defend itself."
He stressed that one of the key components of the agreement is the committee tasked with monitoring its implementation, explaining that the United States and France play a central role in ensuring that all details are carried out on the ground. He noted that when Resolution 1701 was adopted in 2006, there was no mechanism to ensure its implementation, which led to its failure. This mistake has been corrected in the new agreement.
Regarding the presidential elections, when asked whether Lebanese MPs should hurry to elect a president by January 9, Boulos responded, "I believe they have time. On January 9, it will be two years and two months since the presidential vacancy. In my opinion, the Lebanese can wait another two or three months to get things right within the framework of a comprehensive agreement. We should not rush to elect anyone randomly. It is essential to ensure the participation of the absolute majority of Lebanon's elected representatives, not just electing a president with only 65 votes."