A political process and diplomatic talks aimed at establishing a permanent ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel must be made top priorities, the head of the UN peacekeeping force Unifil said on Monday, warning the prospect of de-escalation remains fragile despite US and French mediation.
Lt Gen Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, Unifil’s force commander, told the UN Security Council that while a monitoring mechanism was set up after hostilities flared in November, only military-to-military contact has since taken place.
“This is still a fragile process,” he said. “A political layer will be required to get the parties on track to a full implementation of [UN Resolution] 1701 and facilitate open discussions on a potentially contentious border delineation process.” Lt Gen Lazaro also emphasised sustained diplomatic engagement was critical in preventing renewed escalation and advancing long-term stability.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah to an end, calls for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of armed groups from southern Lebanon. However, sporadic clashes over the disputed Blue Line border persist.
"Since the cessation of hostilities, which came into effect on November 27, and in the absence of a permanent ceasefire, one of the main obstacles has always been that the parties interpret differently their obligations under resolution 1701," Lt Gen Lazaro said. "The strategic context and the balance of forces have now significantly changed, and we may finally see slow process towards a more permanent ceasefire. But this may still take a long time."
He said internal processes in Lebanon, as well as addressing the roles of Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups, are crucial for moving forward with a viable political track between Lebanon and Israel.
Israel has continued to launch strikes on Lebanon since the truce largely halted more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, including two months of all-out war.
Authorities said an Israeli strike on Sunday had killed two people in south Lebanon's Zibqin, but the Israeli military said it was targeting Hezbollah operatives in the area. Israeli strikes last week hit other sites in the south and even Hezbollah's bastion of southern Beirut.
