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Lebanon President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday received US General Joseph Clearfield in Beirut, with discussions focusing on steps to implement the framework agreement reached between Lebanon, Israel, and the United States in Washington on June 26.
According to a X post by the Lebanese Presidency, the meeting comes after General Clearfield held talks in Israel last week, as the US-facilitated trilateral Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L) works towards implementing the framework agreement. In the X post, the Lebanese Presidency said that President Aoun received "the head of the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon MCG4L, General Joseph Clewfield, in the presence of the American Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, and a number of General Clewfield's aides." https://x.com/LBpresidency/status/2087429301587050797 "During the meeting, they discussed the procedures necessary to implement the framework agreement reached as a result of the Lebanese-American-Israeli negotiations in Washington, in light of the talks conducted by General Clewfield in Israel last week," the Lebanese Presidency said. The United States, Israel, and Lebanon signed the Trilateral Framework in Washington on June 26. The statement said, "This agreement establishes a clear and structured process to restore Lebanon's sovereignty, disarm Hizballah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and enable Israel to return to its borders once that threat to its citizens is removed." It added that the agreement "also creates a trilateral Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L), facilitated by the United States, allowing the two sides to implement this Framework." "We intend to work closely with our regional partners to implement this Framework and deliver a brighter, more secure future for Israel, Lebanon, and the whole Middle East," it added. Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on July 31 sharply condemned military actions by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, describing them as a direct breach of international law and existing truce commitments and a threat to UNESCO sites In a post on X, Prime Minister Salam warned that the escalating strikes pose severe risks to civilians in the south while inflicting damage on historically significant heritage sites. "The ongoing Israeli assaults in southern Lebanon--through explosions, shelling, and systematic destruction--represent a blatant violation of the ceasefire, in addition to constituting a flagrant breach of Lebanon's sovereignty and security, as well as the principles and rules of international law," Salam stated. They not only embody a condemned escalatory approach but also pose a threat to the safety of our people in the south, not to mention the damage inflicted upon the archaeological landmarks inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, which constitute a cherished part of our nation's history," he added. His remarks came as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it dismantled several key underground tunnels beneath the Beaufort Ridge in southern Lebanon during a "limited activity" in the area of the security zone, as US-brokered Israel-Lebanon talks are set to resume in Rome in August. (ANI)
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