Defense Min.: Lebanon to Expand Army Presence near Israeli Border to 10000

"We will expand the Lebanese army presence in the south to 10,000," Lebanon’s Defense Minister told Al Jazeera TV channel.

The minister emphasized that only the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) would operate within the country. "We are committed to fulfilling international resolutions and will defend our sovereignty by deploying the military along the southern border," he declared.

The ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel took effect at 4:00 a.m. local time (2:00 a.m. GMT), in accordance with a US-French initiative.