Lebanese army chief travels to Saudi Arabia for military cooperation talks

On Thursday, Lebanese Army Chief Joseph Aoun departed Beirut for Saudi Arabia to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and to seek Saudi support for a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, News.az reports citing foreign media.

A military statement said that Aoun will explore cooperation between the Lebanese and Saudi armies and ways to strengthen support for Lebanon’s military.

The visit comes upon an invitation from Saudi Chief of General Staff Fayyad al-Ruwaili.

In recent weeks, regional and international efforts have intensified to support the Lebanese army, which has begun deploying forces in southern Lebanon under the cease-fire deal with Israel.

The cease-fire agreement, which took effect on Nov. 27, aimed to end over 14 months of fighting between the Israeli army and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Under the cease-fire terms, Israel is required to withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line - a de facto border - in phases, while the Lebanese army is to deploy in southern Lebanon within 60 days.

Data from the Lebanese Health Ministry indicates that since Israel’s onslaught on Lebanon began on Oct. 8, 2023, at least 4,063 people have been killed, including women, children and health workers, while 16,663 others have been injured.

News.Az