Egypt Pushes Plan to Secure Lebanon Ceasefire

By Staff, Agencies

Egypt is seeking to formulate a "comprehensive settlement for the Lebanese-'Israeli' crisis," "Israeli" Arab-language broadcaster Makan 33, a branch of the "Israeli" Broadcasting Corporation [KAN], reported on Saturday, citing Arab diplomatic sources.

Cairo's plan reportedly aims to enforce the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and "Israel" and ensure the withdrawal of "Israeli" occupation forces [IOF] from the positions they occupy within Lebanese territory, known as the "five points".

The report says Egypt wants Hezbollah to halt operations south of the Litani River. Both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government note that coordination on this issue continues under the November 2024 ceasefire.

On the other hand, Israel has repeatedly violated its commitments, continuing attacks on Lebanon by striking civilians, occupying territory, breaching airspace, carrying out incursions, and bypassing the US-led ceasefire “Mechanism.”

Egypt’s plan calls for an Arab-Turkish body to monitor the ceasefire and curb violations, partly replacing the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon [UNIFIL] with Arab-Islamic oversight.

The plan also attempts to resolve regional tensions based on an alleged "need for coordination between Tehran and Riyadh to keep Lebanon away from regional disputes," while maintaining Hezbollah’s armament under "strategic dormancy".

The initiative is expected to face political challenges, most notably Lebanon’s reservations about the supervision of the South by an Arab-Turkish force and the absence of an official "Israeli" position so far, Kan reported.

Washington has expressed concerns about the proposal, while asserting its support for any effort that reduces tensions and maintains stability within international frameworks, the "Israeli" outlet added.

"The Egyptian plan is viewed as an attempt to reposition the Arab role in the Lebanese issue through a 'security-for-calm' equation, as a step toward a negotiating track that could curb escalation and restore Lebanon’s position as a state for dialogue rather than a battleground," it added.