Lebanon to implement UN resolution, deploy army on southern border.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, recently affirmed that his country is ready to implement United Nations (UN) Resolution 1701 to ease escalating tensions on its southern border with Israel. This announcement, made following a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, signals Lebanon’s willingness to take critical steps toward peace in coordination with UN peacekeepers.
According to a report by Xinhua news agency, Mikati highlighted that Lebanon would deploy its army south of the Litani River. This deployment will be in collaboration with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has been operating in the region since 1978 to monitor ceasefires and assist with peacekeeping efforts. Lebanon’s decision to reinforce UN Resolution 1701 comes amid growing international pressure to reduce hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese-based militant group.
UN Resolution 1701, passed in 2006, was a pivotal agreement that brought an end to the 33-day war between Israel and Hezbollah. The resolution called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon. It also sought to reinforce UNIFIL by granting it a more robust mandate to monitor the ceasefire alongside the Lebanese army. Another key provision of the resolution was the creation of a demilitarized zone between the Lebanon-Israel border and the Litani River, allowing only Lebanese army and UNIFIL forces to bear arms in the area.
The Prime Minister’s announcement is particularly timely given the recent surge in violence between Israel and Hezbollah. Since late September 2023, Israel has ramped up airstrikes across Lebanon, culminating in a major attack on Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburbs of Beirut. This strike reportedly killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and many of his close associates, significantly altering the dynamics of the ongoing conflict.
The intensification of Israeli airstrikes began after Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel on October 8, 2023, in solidarity with Hamas, the Palestinian group based in Gaza. These rocket attacks triggered a swift and forceful response from the Israeli military, which retaliated with artillery fire and airstrikes targeting southeastern Lebanon. The back-and-forth exchange between Hezbollah and Israel has led to mounting casualties and destruction in the region, exacerbating an already volatile situation.
On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant suggested that Israel’s military was preparing for a ground offensive aimed at removing Hezbollah from the border area. Gallant’s remarks come at a time when the Israeli government has faced increasing pressure to curtail Hezbollah’s influence in southern Lebanon. Israeli officials have frequently accused Hezbollah of violating UN Resolution 1701 by deploying troops and maintaining an armed presence south of the Litani River, where they are prohibited from operating under the terms of the resolution.
Hezbollah’s continued military activities along the border have been a source of tension for years, with many seeing the group’s actions as a direct challenge to the international community’s efforts to maintain peace in the region. Despite repeated warnings, Hezbollah has frequently been accused of building up its military capabilities in southern Lebanon, further straining relations with Israel.
In addition to the military aspect, the conflict has had devastating consequences for Lebanon’s economy, particularly in the south. On the same day as Mikati’s announcement, a new policy brief released by several UN agencies detailed the economic destruction caused by the recent Israeli airstrikes. According to the brief, poverty rates in Nabatieh Governorate and South Governorate, two areas severely impacted by the violence, are projected to soar to 94 percent and 87 percent, respectively. These figures underscore the dire humanitarian crisis gripping Lebanon as a result of the ongoing conflict.
The UN report emphasized the urgent need to end hostilities and address the root causes of the conflict in order to secure stability for the people in the region. It pointed out that while military action has dominated headlines, the long-term consequences of the violence are being felt most acutely by Lebanon’s civilian population, particularly in the form of widespread poverty, unemployment, and the destruction of vital infrastructure.
Mikati’s willingness to implement UN Resolution 1701 and deploy Lebanon’s army south of the Litani River in coordination with UNIFIL may be a step toward mitigating further conflict. However, it remains to be seen whether this move will be enough to prevent further escalation between Hezbollah and Israel. The international community, led by the UN and various human rights organizations, continues to call for a ceasefire and negotiations as the only sustainable solution to the crisis.
As the situation unfolds, both Lebanon and Israel are faced with difficult choices. For Lebanon, deploying its army in compliance with Resolution 1701 could help ease tensions, but doing so without the full cooperation of Hezbollah may prove challenging. For Israel, any military action aimed at Hezbollah risks drawing the country into a prolonged conflict with significant consequences for both sides.
Ultimately, Lebanon’s decision to move forward with the implementation of Resolution 1701 reflects a commitment to peace, though the road ahead remains uncertain. The eyes of the international community are now on both nations, hoping that diplomacy and cooperation will prevail over continued violence. The situation will likely remain fluid as both sides navigate the complexities of this long-standing conflict.