Aoun backs continued UNIFIL presence in south Lebanon
Aoun also 'stressed the importance of cooperation between the army, UNIFIL and residents of the towns and villages of the south,' amid some minor incidents in recent months between peacekeepers and residents.
U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006 to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah, has yet to be fully implemented. Its provisions are now being revisited, given it is the basis of the current cease-fire agreement reached in November to end the latest war with Israel.
Discussions on renewing UNIFIL's mandate began Monday, days ahead of a critical Security Council session examining the force's future. Israel has increasingly signaled its opposition to keeping the peacekeepers in south Lebanon, while the United States has shown little enthusiasm for a new extension of their mandate without an expansion of its powers.
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L'Orient-Le Jour
an hour ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Aoun urges extension of UN peacekeepers' mandate
President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday warned against ending the United Nations peacekeepers' mandate in the country's south, after the U.N. Security Council began debating extending their mission. The annual mandate renewal this year comes after Lebanese authorities, under heavy U.S. pressure, have committed to disarming Hezbollah by year's end, following a November cease-fire deal that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities between the Iran-backed group and Israel. Israel and the United States, which wields a veto on the Security Council, have reportedly opposed the renewal. "Any timetable for the mandate of UNIFIL that is different from the actual needs will negatively impact the situation in the South, which still suffers from Israeli occupation," Aoun told force commander Diodato Abagnara, according to a presidency statement. The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon has been deployed since 1978 to separate Israel and Lebanon and counts some 10,000 personnel from around 50 countries. The Security Council on Monday began debating a resolution drafted by France to extend the force for a year with the ultimate aim of withdrawing it. Aoun said Beirut "has begun contacts with Security Council member states, and brotherly and friendly countries, to ensure the extension" of UNIFIL's mandate. He cited Lebanon's need for the force to help "maintain security and stability in the south" and to support the army following the government's decision to increase troop numbers there to 10,000 personnel. Under the cease-fire, Hezbollah was to withdraw from near the Israeli border, while the Lebanese Army was to bolster its deployment there. Abagnara said on X that UNIFIL's "close coordination" with the Lebanese Army was "key to help restore stability." Last week, UNIFIL said that with its support, the army had deployed to more than 120 positions in the country's south. Despite the cease-fire, Israel has continued to strike Lebanon, saying it will do so until Hezbollah is disarmed. Israeli forces also occupy five areas of the south that it deems strategic. The text of the draft resolution would extend UNIFIL's mandate until Aug. 31, 2026, but "indicates its intention to work on a withdrawal of UNIFIL." A vote of the 15-member Security Council is expected on Aug. 25, before the force's mandate expires at the end of the month.
Nahar Net
4 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Aoun stresses importance of UNIFIL's presence in south
by Naharnet Newsdesk 19 August 2025, 14:21 President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday warned against ending the United Nations peacekeepers' mandate in the country's south, after the U.N. Security Council began debating extending their mission. The annual mandate renewal this year comes after Lebanese authorities, under heavy U.S. pressure, have committed to disarming Hezbollah by year end, following a November ceasefire deal that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities between the Iran-backed group and Israel. Israel and the United States, which wields a veto on the Security Council, have reportedly opposed the renewal. "Any timetable for the mandate of UNIFIL that is different from the actual needs will negatively impact the situation in the south, which still suffers from Israeli occupation," Aoun told force commander Diodato Abagnara, according to a presidency statement. The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon has been deployed since 1978 to separate Israel and Lebanon and counts some 10,000 personnel from around 50 countries. The Security Council on Monday began debating a resolution drafted by France to extend the force for a year with the ultimate aim of withdrawing it. Aoun said Lebanon "has begun contacts with Security Council member states, and brotherly and friendly countries, to ensure the extension" of UNIFIL's mandate. He cited Lebanon's need for the force to help "maintain security and stability in the south" and to support the army following the government's decision to increase troop numbers there to 10,000 personnel. Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was to withdraw from near the Israeli border, while the Lebanese Army was to bolster its deployment there. Abagnara said on X that UNIFIL's "close coordination" with the Lebanese Army was "key to help restore stability." Last week, UNIFIL said that with its support, the army had deployed to more than 120 positions in the country's south. Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued to strike Lebanon, saying it will do so until Hezbollah is disarmed. Israeli forces also occupy five areas of the south that Israel deems strategic. The text of the draft resolution would extend UNIFIL's mandate until August 31, 2026 but "indicates its intention to work on a withdrawal of UNIFIL." A vote of the 15-member Security Council is expected on August 25, before the force's mandate expires at the end of the month.
L'Orient-Le Jour
7 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
In front of Barrack, Salam calls on US to 'assume its responsibilities and pressure Israel'
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who met U.S. envoy Tom Barrack on Monday during Barrack's visit to Lebanon after the government's decision to disarm Hezbollah and other armed groups before the end of the year, stated that after this "step" taken by Lebanon, the United States must now "assume its responsibilities by pressuring Israel." At the end of the first stop of his series of meetings, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Barrack said that now that the cabinet had made a decision "that the Lebanese can be proud of," it was Israel's turn to take a "step" to respect the terms of the cease-fire agreement that went into effect at the end of November 2024, after 13 months of war between Hezbollah and the Israeli army. On Aug. 7, two days after approving the disarmament of Hezbollah and the militias by the end of the year, the government endorsed a "roadmap" presented by Barrack, which should gradually ensure the truce is respected, with Lebanon and Israel each taking one "step" at a time. Salam said during his meeting at the Grand Serail with Barrack, accompanied by the deputy envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, that the Trump administration must now "assume its responsibilities by pressuring Israel to stop its attacks, withdraw from the five points [still occupied in southern Lebanon] and release Lebanese prisoners." He stated that the government's decisions were made in the "national interest" and insisted on the priority of strengthening support for the army, "financially and materially," so that it can fulfill its assigned missions. Salam further stressed the importance of renewing the mandate of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which, he said, plays a role in "consolidating stability" in the south and "supporting the army to extend state authority" south of the Litani River. This statement from the prime minister regarding UNIFIL was made as the Associated Press reported during the day that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a draft last week aimed at gradually reducing the U.N. deployment in southern Lebanon. Salam also called for the international community to announce the organization of a conference to support Lebanon's reconstruction and economic recovery. Berri: What Israeli commitments to uphold the truce? Shortly before, Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, questioned the U.S. envoy about "Israel's commitment to respecting the cease-fire agreement and withdrawing from Lebanese territories up to internationally recognized borders." Israel's adherence to the agreement was "the key to stability in Lebanon and the opportunity to launch the reconstruction process to enable the return of residents to their villages," according to a statement from the legislative chief's press office. After his meeting with Berri, Barrack said "everyone is moving in the right direction." "What matters is achieving prosperity and peace for all," he said. It was also on the theme of "peace and prosperity" that Barrack held his meeting with Aoun. From Baabda, he stated that "the return to peace and prosperity is near, and in the coming weeks, we will see great progress and the start of a plan for dialogue with all neighbors." "The disarmament of Hezbollah is in the interest of the Shiites and not against them," said the U.S. envoy. He added that the reconstruction would take place "throughout Lebanon, not just in the south." "The Lebanese government has taken the first step by committing to reclaiming the state's monopoly over arms, and it is now up to Israel to take a step in return," he said, noting that Washington has not submitted any specific proposal to Israel. "What we are doing is implementing an agreement that was violated. The American administration is not resorting to threats regarding Hezbollah's disarmament. If the party refuses this decision, it will have lost an opportunity, because the choice of disarmament is the best way to return to prosperity." Israel awaits 'concrete measures' President Aoun told his American interlocutors that "what is needed today is for the other parties to commit to the contents" of the cease-fire agreement. According to a post on X, the president called on the international community, including the U.S. and France, to "further support the Lebanese Army and speed up the required international measures to launch the reconstruction process in the areas affected by Israeli attacks." Tom Barrack and the U.S. delegation also met in the afternoon with Lebanese Army commander Rodolphe Haykal. In response to statements from Lebanon and the initiative put forth by Barrack to Israel, an Israeli political source told al-Hadath that the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the five points it considers "strategic" in southern Lebanon "will occur in accordance with a mechanism coordinated with the cease-fire supervisory committee." Israel "will play its part when Lebanon takes concrete measures," the source added. The issue of the monopoly on arms was also the subject of a meeting at the Grand Serail between Salam and a group of independent MPs, including Yassine Yassine, Charbel Massaad, Firas Hamdan and Ibrahim Mneimneh. The latter said after the meeting, according to the Grand Serail's X account, that he fully supports the government's decision to restore the state's monopoly on arms, calling it a "decisive turning point" for the country. "The time has come to end all disputes on the question of state sovereignty," he said. In a statement after the meeting, Massaad said there needed to be "an honest and responsible dialogue between all parties" to resolve the issue of arms and "find solutions that protect the supreme national interest." While the issue of disarmament generated a lot of discussion over the past weekend after a speech by Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, in which he mentioned a possible "confrontation" if the state persisted in disarming the party without an agreement, Lebanese authorities were sticking to their positions. President Aoun said in a televised interview Sunday night that there would be "no turning back," and once again criticized Iran's comments on the matter. Larijani responded by saying that "our comments on the situation in Lebanon and the resistance do not mean that we are interfering in the internal affairs of this country."
