Lebanon refuses amendment of April Understanding, denies contacts with Israel

Lebanon has categorically denied Israeli claims of contacts through a third party in order to facilitate the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied Lebanese territories in the south and the western Bekaa.

Lebanese Defense Minister Ghazi Zeiter said there are no contacts between Lebanon and Israel through France or any other countries to negotiate over making security arrangements in the south or negotiations aimed at withdrawing the Israeli troops from south Lebanon.

The Lebanese defense minister asserted that "cooperation and coordination between Syria and Lebanon will be able to foil the Israeli conspiracies."

He stressed that Lebanon refuses to make any amendment to the April Understanding, adding that Israel seeks such amendment proposals to invest it in its forthcoming elections.

He noted that instructions are given to Lebanese Army units in the south and the Bekaa to deter any Israeli aggressions. Similar assertions were made by speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, as he said the "April Understanding might be reconsidered if martyrs of Qana and al-Mansouri will come back to life."