Egypt's PM Mostafa Madbouly demanded Israel withdraw from five occupied border posts in southern Lebanon, condemning Israeli violations and reinforcing support for Lebanese sovereignty
During the tenth session of the Egyptian-Lebanese High Joint Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Madbouly and his Lebanese counterpart Nawaf Salam in Cairo, Madbouly affirmed Egypt's readiness to support reconstruction efforts in southern Lebanon. He also announced his intention to visit Beirut in December to advance bilateral relations further, focusing on economic cooperation and reconstruction efforts in Lebanon.
The meeting came days after Egyptian intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Hassan Rashad visited Beirut. During the visit, Rashad met with Nawaf Salam to emphasize Egypt's eagerness to preserve Lebanon's stability, as part of its current diplomatic framework to establish “peace” in the region, reported The New Arab.
Before landing in Lebanon, Rashad had been in Tel Aviv to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Hezbollah's disarmament. Reports indicate Egypt is seeking to deepen its role as a mediator between Lebanon and Israel, to formulate a “comprehensive settlement for the Lebanese-Israeli crisis.”
Israeli state media had earlier reported on a proposed Egyptian roadmap that includes a full Israeli withdrawal in exchange for Hezbollah ceasing its military activity south of the Litani river. Egypt has also called on Israel to immediately withdraw from the five Lebanese border positions it continues to occupy in violation of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement.
Egypt's rush to reach a political solution comes amid Israel's preparation for a new military escalation against Hezbollah in the coming weeks. Media reports that the situation could reach a critical point in a month—the deadline imposed by Tel Aviv for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on Sunday threatened to strike Beirut again, warning that any attack by Hezbollah on northern Israeli settlements would be met with full retaliation.
Speaking to Channel 14, Katz said Israel would act against all threats and claimed that Washington is pressuring the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah.
His comments followed a sharp increase in Israeli airstrikes targeting southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs, despite the truce still officially in place since Nov. 27, 2024. Israeli forces remain stationed in five occupied positions in southern Lebanon seized during the most recent war.
Earlier, US envoy Tom Barrack stated Saturday that Israel continues daily strikes on southern Lebanon because Hezbollah has not disarmed, labelling Lebanon a “failed state.” “Thousands of rockets in southern Lebanon still pose a threat to Israel,” he claimed.
Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon first began on Oct. 8, 2023, and escalated into a full-scale war by Sept. 23, 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and injuring nearly 17,000, according to official Lebanese sources.
On Oct. 19, the Israeli military launched its largest war drill since the Oct. 7, 2023 Al-Aqsa Flood operation led by Hamas. The exercise, involving the northern command’s 91st Division, simulated scenarios of escalation along the Lebanese border.
Although a formal ceasefire took effect on Nov. 27, 2024, the Israeli military has continued to violate the agreement. These violations have resulted in at least 269 deaths and 568 injuries, according to Lebanese authorities.
While Israel has withdrawn from some areas, it also continues to occupy five hilltop sites in southern Lebanon. Tel Aviv has made its full withdrawal conditional on Hezbollah’s disarmament and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the border.
Hezbollah has rejected these terms, calling disarmament a form of surrender and warning that Israel cannot be trusted to honor its commitments.
The United States has backed Israel’s position. Its latest regional plan calls for all weapons to be held solely by six official Lebanese security agencies, effectively outlawing armed resistance groups.
In August, Israel welcomed the Lebanese cabinet's vote to accept the US proposal, to formally task its military with consolidating weapons solely under state control, thereby disarming Hezbollah, by the end of 2025.
According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Egypt is reportedly pressuring the Lebanese government to go forward with the Trump's administration's plan, “because time is not on Lebanon's side.”
However, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned that the decision risked igniting civil war. “We are ready to fight a Karbala-like battle, if necessary, against the Israeli-American project, no matter the price,” he said. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam responded by denouncing Qassem’s remarks as “unacceptable” and “containing a veiled threat of civil war.”
