The United Nations Security Council will hold a public session on Wednesday, at the request of the United States, to discuss Hezbollah’s tunnels in southern Lebanon.
In this regard, President Michel Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to UNSC Resolution 1701, saying, “Israel continues to violate Lebanese sovereignty with a rate of 150 violations every month.”
Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri on Monday told the Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) General Stefano Del Col that Lebanon was committed to the full implementation of Resolution 1701 and the respect of the Blue Line on its southern border, Hariri’s press office said in a statement.
The premier-designate stressed that the Lebanese Army was cooperating with the UNIFIL forces and “will conduct patrols to deal with any flaw in the implementation of Resolution 1701 from the Lebanese side.”
He added the UN must shoulder its responsibilities in facing the daily violations by Israel of Lebanese airspace and territorial waters.
Hariri considered that the escalated Israeli tone towards Lebanon “did not serve the atmosphere of calm that has been prevailing for more than 12 years, and that the international community must curb this escalation in the interest of the respect of the Blue Line and the full implementation of Resolution 1701.”
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, former Minister Tareq Mitri, who was involved in the negotiations over UN Security Council’s resolution 1701 on Lebanon in 2006, said that the presence of international forces, especially the French, Italian and Spanish, within the framework of the UN peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), indicated a Western commitment to maintain a calm situation on the Lebanese southern front.
Sources close to the negotiations to stop the Israeli aggression on Lebanon told Asharq Al-Awsat that violations of Resolution 1701 began the day after it was issued, both by the Israeli side and by Hezbollah.
Mitri, for his part, does not expect any practical results from the Security Council meeting on Wednesday.
“Discussions can bring the American side under President Donald Trump closer to Israel than previous governments, but that would not change the rules of the current engagement. Israel is not ready for a large-scale war against Lebanon, but this does not negate the possibility of a local strike against the tunnels, which have been present for a long time and don’t not constitute any evidence of violation of Resolution 1701,” he noted.
Deputy and Retired Colonel Wehbi Qatisha, told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Neither side has respected its commitments. The Israelis are penetrating Lebanese airspace whenever they want. Hezbollah has an arsenal of 113,000 rockets and the Lebanese state is doing nothing.”
