Israel has reportedly demanded that the US allow the Israel Defense Force (IDF) to freely operate in southern Lebanon as a condition to ending the war in the country, Axios reported on Monday, citing two Israeli and two US officials.
According to the outlet, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office sent the list of demands to the White House last week, ahead of the visit of US President Joe Biden’s envoy, Amos Hochstein, to Beirut on Monday where he is expected to discuss a diplomatic solution to the Lebanon conflict.
The documents reportedly contain two main demands, according to Israeli officials who spoke with Axios. The first is that the IDF be allowed to engage in “active enforcement” to make sure Hezbollah militants cannot rearm and rebuild their military infrastructure in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border. The second demand is that the air force be granted the freedom to operate in Lebanese airspace, Axios reported.
One US official told the outlet that it is highly unlikely that Lebanon or the international community would agree to Israel’s demands because they contradict UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which demands that a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon be enforced by the Lebanese Armed Forces and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
However, an Israeli official, speaking to Axios, argued that West Jerusalem’s proposal is meant to increase the enforcement provided for by the UN resolution. “Our main message is that if the Lebanese army and UNIFIL do more, the IDF will do less and the other way around,” he said.
Neither the US nor Israel have commented on the Axios report.
The IDF conducted yet another series of airstrikes across Lebanon on Sunday night, targeting branches of the Al Qard Al-Hassan Association – a banking system Israel claims is run by Hezbollah to manage its finances. Blasts were reported in Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley.