What it’s about
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reported Friday that UN peacekeepers identified over “100 weapons caches” owned by Hezbollah and allies in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire with Israel dated November 27. In a joint call for peace, Guterres and French President Emmanuel Macron urged a ceasefire and proposed Israel’s troop withdrawal.
Why it matters
Amidst ongoing threats from Hezbollah, these weapon finds highlight the group’s continued military potential, potentially destabilizing the region further despite official agreements. Israel asserts security needs due to Hezbollah’s aggressive conduct as resolution enforcement lapses by Lebanese authorities and UNIFIL come to light.
State of Affairs
Guterres, addressing from UNIFIL HQ near the Israeli border, emphasizes the November 27 agreement designated Lebanese forces and UNIFIL solely to be armed south of the Litani River. Yet, illegal armed presence, amidst breach of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, endangers Lebanon’s stability.
Israel’s Position
Israel, defending its operations,cites these necessitated actions address Hezbollah’s violation of ceasefire and undue buffer zone incursions, asking why UN and Lebanese military lack resolution enforcement. It’s asserted Israel banned in lesser threat scenarios issues any noncompliance events to resolving through international channels led by the U.S., France, and Lebanon among others involved.
The Importance of Resolution Implementation
Despite international calls for withdrawal, Israel highlights its vital role in ensuring Lebanon-territory born threats inhibited to protect its sovereignty and citizens. Peace cannot reinvent unchecked hostility allowed infringency and active peril there.
The Road to Peace
With France fostering reconciliation and backing Lebanese military fortification, trustcentric goals propose Lebanon’s defensive stability forwarded. Urging the removed forces withdrawal coordinated strategy & disarming illegal militaries catalyses the trust partly administers offsets relative peaceful accelerator to pragmatic militarist decisives-present threat override likely repsitioned
This story was first published on timesofisrael.com.