Beirut, Lebanon ( IRNA) - Former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel said Wednesday, "Israel is ready to pull its forces back from occupied Shebaa Farms in southern Lebanon."

Speaking to Radio Free Lebanon, Gemayel added, "we hear that Israel has informed the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that it is ready to evacuate the occupied Shebaa Farms in three phases."

He added, "while Israel would retreat from Shebaa Farms the border line between Syria and Lebanon would be re-drawn and the Lebanese Army, too, would be stationed by the Blue Line and this move would be made harmoniously with the Lebanese Hezbollah, that would be safe from aggression."

Gemayel referred to the presence of the Lebanese Army in the south following that move, adding, "the army's presence in that region is quite weak today and its full presence there would take place following gaining full consent of all involved parties and their harmonious support, under which Hezbollah's arms, too, would not be such a serious concern, because there are other armed forces in Trablos and southern Beirut regions."

The former Lebanese president also referred to efforts made by the United States, France and some other Western countries aimed at solving the remaining unsolved conflicts in Lebanon ever since remote past.

Touching on Lebanon's serious differences of opinion with Damsacus, he said, "Israel would soon come up with the conclusion that creating crises in relations with Lebanon had been a grave mistake and that the negative effects of shutting its borders with Lebanon to impose pressure against us would initially affect Damascus, rather than Beirut."

Asking for shutting the dossier related to the years of Syria's presence in Lebanon, Gemayel said, "Syria seems to have forgotten the moves it made in Lebanon, leaving no one at ease from the harms of its sanctions during its presence here." He emphasized, "All the same, it will not be to the benefit of Lebanon to adopt a policy far from that of Syria in the region, just as it would not serve our national interests to open our borders with Israel." Amin Gemayel served as Lebanon's president from 1982 to 1988 following the assassination of his brother President Bashir Gemayel.

Shebaa Farms, in the triangle among Syria, Lebanon and occupied Palestine was initially occupied by Israel in 1967 (38 years ago) and Israel did not evacuate it following retreating its forces from Lebanon, resorting to the pretext that it did not belong to Lebanon.