Following a French initiative last week whereby a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah would be accompanied by a Hezbollah withdrawal to a distance of ten kilometers from the border and Israel undertaking not to fly over Lebanon, there is a new development in the deal.
According to a report compiled in France and forwarded to Lebanon, 15,000 Lebanese army soldiers would be stationed in the south of the country. One of the aspects of the French outline that requires further attention is the funding for the Lebanese army's activities, which has weakened significantly due to the severe economic crisis in the country.
The French proposal calls for an "international effort" to support the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south of the country, through "funding, equipment and training", it was reported in Lebanese publication Al-Akhbar.
You will recall that in response to France's previous proposal, a representative of Hezbollah stated that: "the organization will not consider any proposal on the fate of southern Lebanon before the Israeli aggression in Gaza ceases." According to him, "Israel is not in a position to dictate terms."
