BEIRUT: Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus said Tuesday that the United States was seeking a political solution to persistent border disputes between Israel and Lebanon.
“We want to get a political resolution, finally, to the border disputes,” Ortagus told Lebanese TV channel Al-Jadeed.
She said the US and France, which helped broker a fragile November ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, had set up “working groups” to keep the process on track.
The working groups would address the border disputes between the two countries, as well as Israel’s continued occupation of five strategic points in south Lebanon, Ortagus said.
The ceasefire required Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border, and to dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.
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Israel had been due to withdraw completely from Lebanese territory by February 18 after missing a January deadline, but kept troops at five locations it deemed strategic.
“Israel has withdrawn from over 99 percent of the territory,” Ortagus said.
“I feel fairly confident that… we can have final resolution on the five points and ultimately on the remaining issues related to the Blue Line”, the UN-patrolled demarcation line that has served as de facto border since 2000.
“When it comes to the border agreement, the land border agreement, there are 13 points – I think that six are still problematic,” she said, referring to disputes between the two governments over the Blue Line.
Another working group would work on “getting the remaining prisoners home”, Ortagus said, as Israel announced it was releasing five Lebanese taken captive during the two months of full-blown war that preceded the ceasefire.
She said the five prisoners to be released by Israel were “a mix” of soldiers and civilians.
“I’ll let the government of Lebanon make the announcement of who is in the mix. But there are some soldiers and civilians in the mix of five,” she said.
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