Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Sunday that a “full” Israeli withdrawal is the key to stability in Lebanon.
His remarks came during a phone call with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, during which they discussed developments in Lebanon and the wider region, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese Parliament Presidency.
The call came two days after Lebanon and Israel signed a US-sponsored framework agreement in Washington providing for a phased Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory. The process is set to begin with two pilot areas after verification that non-state armed groups have been disarmed, in an apparent reference to the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
According to the statement, Abdelatty reaffirmed “Egypt’s commitment to stability in Lebanon” and stressed that the priority should be “the full withdrawal of the Israeli enemy from southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army.”
On Friday evening, Beirut and Tel Aviv signed the US-sponsored framework agreement, which provides for a phased Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory, beginning with two pilot areas that have yet to be identified.
However, the agreement does not set a clear timetable for the withdrawal from the two pilot areas or from all Lebanese territory. It also links the withdrawal to the Lebanese army assuming full security responsibility in the evacuated areas and the disarmament of all non-state armed groups, chiefly Hezbollah.
READ: Qalibaf, Berri discuss Lebanon ceasefire as speaker rejects Israel-Lebanon Framework Agreement
