“ENCOURAGING ANNOUNCEMENTS”
Lebanon’s army said Thursday it had “achieved the objectives of the first phase” of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, covering the area south of the Litani River – around 30km from the Israeli border – with the intention to extend it to the rest of the country.
Israel said the efforts were encouraging but not enough.
“The ceasefire agreement … states clearly, Hezbollah must be fully disarmed,” the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
“Efforts made toward this end by the Lebanese government and the Lebanese armed forces are an encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient,” it added.
