Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian
The implementation of the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully realized, as it awaits the meeting of the overseeing committee, which is expected in the coming days after the arrival of the French representative in Lebanon.
The five-member committee is composed of U.S. Major General Jasper Jeffers as president; France's General Guillaume Ponchin, who is responsible for French ground forces training and activities; and Brigadier General Edgard Lawandos, the South Litani Sector Commander, who will be representing Lebanon.
Potentially, UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro will also participate as he is the highest-ranking official in the international forces who previously participated in tripartite meetings on maritime border demarcation.
The Israeli representative’s identity, however, has not yet been disclosed.
Sources suggest that the meeting will be held at the headquarters of the Italian battalion in Ras al-Naqoura, where previous tripartite committee meetings were held, located between the Lebanese and Israeli borders.
According to protocol, the U.S. general will preside over the table and manage communication between the Lebanese and Israeli sides, which do not engage directly.
While the exact setup of the table has not been finalized, sources expect that the French and UNIFIL representatives will sit opposite the U.S. general.
Once the committee is fully formed, it is expected to begin resolving the ongoing dispute between Lebanon and Israel, starting with the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanese territory to allow the Lebanese army to redeploy, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
The committee will also oversee the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, which has been agreed upon by all parties.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese army continues to redeploy in areas not entered by the Israeli army, with the latest being Shebaa, while Israeli forces continue their violations in villages they have reached, most recently in Khiam and Kfarkela, where they have continued operations to plant explosives.