ROME, October 3. /TASS/. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has said in an interview with the daily La Repubblica that Hezbollah agrees to the deployment of the Lebanese army to the south of the country after the ceasefire.

"The Lebanese government is ready to send the army to the south after the ceasefire in accordance with UNSC Resolution 1701. Hezbollah agrees and the international community will help us," he said, pointing out that this was an alternative to a bloody war. In addition, he said, it would let the Israelis return to their homes and ensure their safety.

Lebanon's prime minister also recognized that in order to ensure stability in the country, it would be necessary to elect a president who meets the interests of all parties and representatives of Lebanese society.

UNSC Resolution 1701 ended the military standoff in 2006. After the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1978, a peacekeeping mission, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, was established in accordance with the UN resolution. Its mandate is renewed every six months.

On September 23, Israel launched an operation codenamed Northern Arrows against the Shiite organization Hezbollah and massive airstrikes on its military facilities. One of the strikes killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrullah in Beirut on September 27. The Shiite organization confirmed his death and vowed to continue confronting Israel. In the early hours of October 1, the Israeli army announced a limited ground operation in border areas in southern Lebanon.