Lebanon’s political circles are awaiting the extension of the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
The UN Security Council is expected to decide on the extension at the end of August, amid mounting tension between the United States and Iran, through Tehran’s strategic ally – Hezbollah.
In parallel, Beirut is awaiting the ruling of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) on July 22, on the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005 and the start of the trial of the defendants in the two assassination attempts against MP Marwan Hamadeh and former deputy Prime Minister Elias Al-Murr, as well as the assassination of former Secretary General of the Lebanese Communist Party George Hawi. The ruling and trial are significant because all suspects are Hezbollah members.
The extension of UNIFIL’s mandate coincides with Washington’s hinting that it may refrain from financing the peacekeeping forces’ needs to support the Lebanese army in the implementation of resolution 1701, which may lead to the decrease in the number of UN troops in southern Lebanon.
In this regard, western diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington has repeatedly called for expanding UNIFIL’s powers and promoting its role in the South.
According to the diplomatic sources, Washington believes that it was no longer possible to maintain the “cohabitation” between the international forces and the Lebanese army on one side and Hezbollah, which is impeding the mission of UNIFIL and preventing its troops from entering villages and towns, on the other.
