Ali Taher Ridge at the Center of Negotiations: Hezbollah Withdrawal as Condition for Framework Agreement
An Arab report according to Asharq Al-Awsat: The evacuation of Hezbollah militants from the Ali Taher ridge has become a condition for implementing the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon. The evacuation is expected to top the agenda in the next round of negotiations in early September. Hezbollah has not yet responded to President Joseph Aoun's demand to evacuate the ridge and the underground facility, to allow the deployment of the Lebanese army.
An Arab report, according to the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, indicates that the evacuation of Hezbollah militants from the Ali Taher ridge has become a condition for implementing the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon. A source familiar with the exchanges of messages between Lebanon and the United States said that the evacuation is expected to top the agenda in the next round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in early September. The Ali Taher ridge is a key strategic point in southern Lebanon, which has become one of the most complex combat zones. During the ground maneuver, IDF forces established operational control over the surface, but encountered an underground infrastructure used by the Radwan Force. Beneath the surface, dozens of militants remained entrenched, while the IDF encircled the openings of shafts and tunnels and sealed their escape routes. The source added that the future of the situation in southern Lebanon depends on Hezbollah's response to President Joseph Aoun's demand to evacuate the ridge, including the underground military facility, and in Beirut they are interested in deploying the Lebanese army there. The official admitted that so far Hezbollah has not responded to the demand. It was also reported that the head of the ceasefire coordination group, General Joseph Clearfield, said in conversations with Lebanese officials that Hezbollah's withdrawal from Ali Taher is the only way to establish the ceasefire, and future steps depend on the organization's response.