Latest news with #NovemberUnderstanding
Nahar Net
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Special Coordinator for Lebanon voices 'cautious optimism' as she briefs Security Council
by Naharnet Newsdesk 18 March 2025, 09:49 'Cautious optimism, Madam President, is the flavor of the day' -- these were the words of the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, who briefed the United Nations Security Council on the implementation of resolution 1701. She used them to synopsize the recent government formation process in Lebanon, welcoming both the "promising ministerial agenda" adopted, while noting that Lebanon's protracted leadership vacuum had left the country's new administration with just over one year to tackle a series of daunting challenges. Speaking alongside Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Special Coordinator provided the Council with an overview of the security situation in the country. While noting that the cessation of hostilities continued to hold, she added that this did not mean that all military activity on Lebanese territory had ceased. She further explained that the sustained presence of the Israeli army on Lebanese territory, alongside ongoing strikes, could easily lead to 'serious ripple effects' on the Lebanese side of the Blue Line. 'We urgently need diplomatic and political discussions capable of forging a path to the full implementation of resolution 1701,' she stressed, warning that the status quo, fueled in part by clashes in the interpretation of the November Understanding and resolution 1701 or 'cherry-picking' from among their provisions, would only end in another conflagration. The Special Coordinator went on to note that recent momentum towards such discussions provided a 'glimmer of hope'. While highlighting positive developments in southern Lebanon, including the 'admirable job' of the Lebanese Armed Forces in deploying to all towns and villages in southern Lebanon, as well as the February decision of the Israeli army's Home Front Command to lift remaining restrictions on Israel's northern frontier, she acknowledged that a climate of fear persisted on both sides of the Blue Line. In this context, Hennis-Plasschaert also noted that the Lebanese Government was walking a 'fine line' in a post-conflict landscape and that it deserved 'both patience and time.' Noting the yawning gaps in international funding for Lebanon, the Special Coordinator stated: 'A failure to kick off recovery and reconstruction would come at a high price. People must see and feel the dividends of stability before they can truly believe in it.'
Nahar Net
26-01-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
UN, UNIFIL urge compliance from Israel and Lebanon to ceasefire agreement
by Naharnet Newsdesk 26 January 2025, 12:57 United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro on Sunday issued a statement commenting on the situation in south Lebanon after Israel refrained from withdrawing its troops prior to the January 27 deadline. 'Much has changed in Lebanon since the Cessation of Hostilities Understanding came into force in the early hours of 27 November 2024,' Plasschaert and Lázaro said in a joint statement. 'Violence has dramatically decreased. In many areas of southern Lebanon, hundreds of thousands of people have been able to return to their towns and villages. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have shown resolve in deploying to positions from which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are withdrawing. Supported by UNIFIL, the LAF is helping to restore services and facilitating humanitarian access to communities most affected by conflict,' they added. Moreover, the two U.N. officials said the ongoing government formation process in Lebanon, following the election of a president and the designation of a prime minister, is 'a critical step in building trust between Lebanese citizens and the State.' 'These developments also augur well for prospective support to the full extension of state authority over all Lebanese territory and for the country's recovery, reconstruction and growth,' they added. 'The fact is that the timelines envisaged in the November Understanding have not been met. As seen tragically this morning, conditions are not yet in place for the safe return of citizens to their villages along the Blue Line. Displaced communities, already facing a long road to recovery and reconstruction, are therefore once again being called on to exercise caution. Also, violations of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) continue to be recorded daily,' the statement said, after as Israeli gunfire killed at least three of the returning residents and wounded 44 others. 'Compliance by both parties with their obligations under the November Understanding and the full implementation of resolution 1701 constitute the only way to bring closure to the recent, dark chapter of conflict and open a new one, heralding security, stability and prosperity on both sides of the Blue Line,' the U.N. officials stressed. 'The United Nations continues to engage all actors towards this end and remains ready to support any action consistent with resolution 1701 and the efforts of the Implementation Mechanism to achieve the objectives of the November Understanding,' they said. 'With so much at stake for both Lebanon and Israel, recommitment is urgently needed from all sides,' Plasschaert and Lázaro urged.
Asharq Al-Awsat
26-01-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
UN Envoy: Conditions 'Not Yet in Place' for Safe Return of Lebanese Citizens to South
Conditions are 'not yet in place' for the safe return of Lebanese citizens to southern Lebanon, according to a joint statement by the top UN official in Lebanon and the chief of the UN peacekeeping mission to Lebanon on Sunday. They said that the timelines set under the US-brokered ceasefire that halted last year's war with Hezbollah were not met, urging recommitment from both Israel and Lebanon. The statement comes after Israeli forces killed several people and injured scores trying to return to homes in south Lebanon where Israeli troops remained on the ground after a deadline for their withdrawal passed on Sunday. 'As seen tragically this morning, conditions are not yet in place for the safe return of citizens to their villages along the Blue Line. Displaced communities, already facing a long road to recovery and reconstruction, are therefore once again being called on to exercise caution,' United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro said in the statement. 'Compliance by both parties with their obligations under the November Understanding and the full implementation of resolution 1701 constitute the only way to bring closure to the recent, dark chapter of conflict and open a new one, heralding security, stability and prosperity on both sides of the Blue Line,' they said. 'The United Nations continues to engage all actors towards this end and remains ready to support any action consistent with resolution 1701 and the efforts of the Implementation Mechanism to achieve the objectives of the November Understanding,' the statement said 'With so much at stake for both Lebanon and Israel, recommitment is urgently needed from all sides,' it added
MTV Lebanon
26-01-2025
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
Joint statement of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, UNIFIL head of mission, and force commander
Below is the joint statement issued by the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro on Sunday, January 26, 2025: "Much has changed in Lebanon since the Cessation of Hostilities Understanding came into force in the early hours of 27 November 2024. Violence has dramatically decreased. In many areas of southern Lebanon, hundreds of thousands of people have been able to return to their towns and villages. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have shown resolve in deploying to positions from which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are withdrawing. Supported by UNIFIL, the LAF is helping to restore services and facilitating humanitarian access to communities most affected by conflict. Moreover, the ongoing government formation process, following the election of a president and the designation of a prime minister, is a critical step in building trust between Lebanese citizens and the State. These developments also augur well for prospective support to the full extension of state authority over all Lebanese territory and for the country's recovery, reconstruction and growth. The fact is that the timelines envisaged in the November Understanding have not been met. As seen tragically this morning, conditions are not yet in place for the safe return of citizens to their villages along the Blue Line. Displaced communities, already facing a long road to recovery and reconstruction, are therefore once again being called on to exercise caution. Also, violations of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) continue to be recorded daily. Compliance by both parties with their obligations under the November Understanding and the full implementation of resolution 1701 constitute the only way to bring closure to the recent, dark chapter of conflict and open a new one, heralding security, stability and prosperity on both sides of the Blue Line. The United Nations continues to engage all actors towards this end and remains ready to support any action consistent with resolution 1701 and the efforts of the Implementation Mechanism to achieve the objectives of the November Understanding. With so much at stake for both Lebanon and Israel, recommitment is urgently needed from all sides."
National News
26-01-2025
- Politics
- National News
Joint Statement of UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, UNIFIL Head of Mission & Force Commander
NNA - Below is the joint statement issued by the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro on Sunday, January 26, 2025: "Much has changed in Lebanon since the Cessation of Hostilities Understanding came into force in the early hours of 27 November 2024. Violence has dramatically decreased. In many areas of southern Lebanon, hundreds of thousands of people have been able to return to their towns and villages. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have shown resolve in deploying to positions from which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are withdrawing. Supported by UNIFIL, the LAF is helping to restore services and facilitating humanitarian access to communities most affected by conflict. Moreover, the ongoing government formation process, following the election of a president and the designation of a prime minister, is a critical step in building trust between Lebanese citizens and the State. These developments also augur well for prospective support to the full extension of state authority over all Lebanese territory and for the country's recovery, reconstruction and growth. The fact is that the timelines envisaged in the November Understanding have not been met. As seen tragically this morning, conditions are not yet in place for the safe return of citizens to their villages along the Blue Line. Displaced communities, already facing a long road to recovery and reconstruction, are therefore once again being called on to exercise caution. Also, violations of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) continue to be recorded daily. Compliance by both parties with their obligations under the November Understanding and the full implementation of resolution 1701 constitute the only way to bring closure to the recent, dark chapter of conflict and open a new one, heralding security, stability and prosperity on both sides of the Blue Line. The United Nations continues to engage all actors towards this end and remains ready to support any action consistent with resolution 1701 and the efforts of the Implementation Mechanism to achieve the objectives of the November Understanding. With so much at stake for both Lebanon and Israel, recommitment is urgently needed from all sides." ********** UNIC Beirut
