Beirut: House Speaker Nabih Berri stated Sunday that he remains in constant contact with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam despite differences in viewpoints, stressing that all sides share key priorities: Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, deployment of the Lebanese Army, the return of displaced residents, the release of detainees, and a reconstruction plan backed by Arab and international support.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Berri praised Lebanese communities and political parties for hosting fellow displaced brethrens as a result of Israel's systematic destruction of villages in the south. He welcomed efforts that led to the ceasefire and expressed hope it would hold, saying this depends on Israel's commitment to the agreement, for negotiations ought not take place under military pressure.
Berri revealed that Israel itself requested a ceasefire through the international mechanism committee overseeing the cessation of hostilities, noting that Israel agreed to the ceasefire following US pressure after two days of intense attacks in southern Lebanon that martyred dozens of civilians, including emergency responders, paramedics, elderly people, women, and children.
He reiterated that Hezbollah remains committed to the ceasefire, while accusing Israel of repeatedly violating it, and welcomed any international effort aimed at pressuring Israel to end its aggression against Lebanon. Rejecting the idea of "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon, Berri considered that negotiating their geographic boundaries could take two years. Instead, he proposed relying on the existing administrative divisions of the south, with a phased Israeli withdrawal from each district occurring simultaneously with the deployment of the Lebanese Army. He said a clear timetable for Israeli withdrawal and army deployment would be the fastest path to ending the occupation and allowing displaced residents to return home.
The Speaker also stated that the withdrawal of Israeli forces from any district, such as the district of Tyre, should coincide with the deployment of the Lebanese Army and the return of the district's residents. He added that Israeli withdrawal would be matched by the area being free of weapons, saying he had pledged on Hezbollah's behalf that the area south of the Litani River would be cleared of weapons, provided Israel fulfills its commitments.
He concluded by calling for a phased, district-by-district implementation plan overseen by the Lebanese Army, with parallel Israeli withdrawals and the gradual return of displaced residents to their villages.