On Thursday, the United States and France underscored the importance of bolstering the Lebanese Army as a critical step towards implementing a key United Nations Security Council resolution aimed at maintaining peace along the Lebanese-Israeli border.
During a session of the 15-member Security Council, US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood stated that the international community must focus its efforts on strengthening Lebanon’s state institutions.
He emphasized that resolving the ongoing crisis does not entail weakening Lebanon but rather empowering it with a robust and sovereign security force, represented by the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon operates under the mandate of Security Council Resolution 1701, passed in 2006.
This resolution was established to assist the Lebanese Army in keeping its southern borders with Israel free from weapons or militants, excluding those associated with the Lebanese state.
This mandate has led to tensions with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group.
Tensions have escalated in recent months, particularly after Hezbollah began firing at Israel in support of the Palestinian Hamas movement amid the conflict in Gaza.
Israeli airstrikes and ground incursions into southern Lebanon have further heightened the situation.
French Ambassador to the United Nations Nicolas de Rivière highlighted the necessity for an immediate ceasefire and reiterated that the 21-day truce proposal put forth by France and the United States last month remains on the table. While Wood noted that the US is working towards a diplomatic resolution, he did not indicate plans for a ceasefire.
Lebanon’s Acting Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Hadi Hashem, asserted to the council that diplomatic solutions, the implementation of international resolutions, and adherence to international humanitarian law are the only means to end the ongoing conflict and aggression.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, called for the enforcement of Resolution 1701 alongside Resolution 1559, adopted in 2004, which demands the disbandment and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias.
He stressed Israel’s commitment to ensuring this outcome and urged the council to support its efforts.
Ambassador de Rivière also noted that one of the objectives of a conference planned by France on Lebanon, set for October 24, is to ensure Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Resolution 1701 prohibits any party from crossing the so-called Blue Line, a demarcation established by the UN separating Lebanon from Israel and the occupied Golan Heights. UN officials have long reported violations from both sides.
