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The Lebanese army's Brigadier General Edgar Lowndes has been appointed to represent Lebanon in the five-member monitoring committee for the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, an army source told °®Âþµº's Arabic language edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Tuesday.

Lowndes, commander of the South Litani Sector, is a senior military figure with "significant experience" coordinating security and stability efforts with theÌýUnited Nations Interim Force in LebanonÌý(UNIFIL), the source said, adding that he would represent Lebanon "effectively".

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have been documenting Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement which came into effect on 27 November, and were in regular contact with US GeneralÌýJasper JeffersÌý- America's representative on the committee to monitor the truce.

The US-brokeredÌýceasefire ended one of theÌýfiercest wars between Israel and HezbollahÌýin decades and saw the deployment of the LAF to south of the Litani River, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1071.

The army recently announced plans to recruit additional combat troops to bolster its presence in the southern border area, where it is expected to have between 8,000 to 10,000 army personnel present.

°Õ³ó±ðÌýceasefireÌýis the result of months-long indirect negotiations that ended a 13-months of aggressions between Israel and Hezbollah linked to Israel's war in Gaza on 7 October 2023.

One of the key points of the agreement was the formation of a monitoring committee, comprising of representatives from Lebanon, France, the United States, Israel, and the UNIFIL, tasked with overseeing the implementation of the deal.

The on Friday that Jeffers would co-chair the committee, named the Implementation and Monitoring Mechanism of the Cessation of Hostilities, alongside senior advisor to the US president, Amos Hochstein.

France's pick on the committee

Brigadier General Guillaume Ponchin is expected to represent France on the monitoring committee, a French diplomatic source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Ponchin is a senior French officer with extensive experience in UN peacekeeping operations, having previously commanded the UN mission in Mali.

French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu is expected to visit Beirut soon to discuss the latest developments and affirm his country's support for Lebanon, the source added.

The US's Jasper met on Tuesday with Major General Aroldo Lázaro, head of the UNIFIL mission at their headquarters in southern Lebanon'sÌýNaqoura. The two discussed efforts to restore stability and peacekeeping mechanisms.

The UNIFIL said in a statement that its peacekeeping forces were fully prepared to support any agreement or mechanism aimed at ending violence along the Blue Line.

A UNIFIL source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the mission remains dedicated to supporting the implementation of Resolution 1701, urging all parties to uphold its provisions to ensure security and stability.

The source expressed concern over recorded ceasefire violations but stressed the importance of all parties adhering to their commitments to avoid a relapse into a full-scale war.

Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement since it came into effect on Wednesday, with the Lebanese government recording over 54 violations. Israeli strikes have killed at least 13 people in Lebanon since then.

The Lebanese government has voiced frustration over delays in addressing these violations, which prompted a Hezbollah retaliatory attack on Israeli positions on the occupied Kfarchouba Hills late on Monday.