12 July 2023; MEMO: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has informed the UN that his country "demands a full demarcation of its southern border with Israel." Mikati told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Lebanese government is working "diligently" to solve the "tents crisis" through diplomatic channels, adding that, "We told the UN that we are ready for a full drawing of the entire southern border."
In response to Israel's demands presented by the UN Head of Mission and Force Commander Aroldo Lazaro, the newspaper referred to Lebanese sources who called on Israel to withdraw its forces from contested areas on the border. "Lazaro was informed that instead of searching for the two tents, let him begin a process of complete demarcation of the land borders," one source was reported as saying.
Israel has called on Lebanon through international envoys, to remove the two tents erected by Hezbollah. Lebanon's response was that the two tents are located on Lebanese territory.
Diplomatic and security efforts have intensified recently to ease tension resulting from the new Israeli measures in Ghajar village in south-east Lebanon, and from the tents set up by Hezbollah in the disputed Shebaa Farms area. After Israeli media outlets reported that Hezbollah had removed one of the tents, security sources said, "This information is incorrect. The tents are still there."
Israel is the only UN member state which has never declared where its borders lie. It continues to occupy Lebanese, Syrian and, especially, Palestinian land with the intention of creating what Zionists call "Greater Israel".
