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In the coming days, Security Council Resolution 1701 will resurface once again through the conference organized by the Lebanese Forces. Multiple Lebanese parties, who firmly believe in the necessity of implementing this resolution, will be invited, as this remains the sole pathway to achieving enduring stability in the southern region of the Litani River.
According to sources closely following the matter, while the US, along with European and Arab nations, persist in urging for the implementation of Resolution 1701, the Lebanese authorities stay idle. They offer verbal support for enforcement but refrain from taking tangible steps. For instance, they could call for Hezbollah to engage in dialogue on the matter, even amidst the ongoing war in Gaza. Such a move would show Lebanon’s goodwill towards the international community, and affirm its readiness to address all concerns and perspectives on implementing this resolution at the opportune moment.
Furthermore, the conference organized by the Lebanese Forces marks a first large-scale political move in Lebanon, highlighting the stance of substantial Lebanese factions against war and in favor of sustainable peace in the south through the implementation of Resolution 1701. Recommendations and messages in this regard will also be raised to the United Nations, particularly to the five permanent members of the Security Council (the US, China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom), as well as to Arab states interested in Lebanon’s stability.
The key message of this conference is that the genuine implementation of Resolution 1701, through sincere cooperation and coordination between the Lebanese army (LAF) and UNIFIL forces, is the sole pathway to prevent Lebanon from plunging into a full-scale war, both now and in the future. It ensures that the people of southern Lebanon will not endure another ordeal and will not pay the price with their lives and possessions.
In the discourse surrounding Resolution 1701, the conference or certain participants will discuss the question of Hezbollah’s arsenal — an issue currently skirted by the Americans and the French, as stipulated in Resolution 1559 which Resolution 1701 built upon. The focus will underscore that any presence of arms or armed forces outside the bounds of legitimacy serves as a persistent blown fuse, both internally and at the borders.
In approaching Resolution 1701, the Lebanese Forces (LF) regard it as protected by the international community and supported within Lebanon as well. Unanimously approved by all 15 members of the UN Security Council, this resolution has garnered consent from all Lebanese factions, with Hezbollah at the forefront, without any party disavowing it. Consequently, it remains the sole pathway for long-term resolution in southern Lebanon and ensuring enduring stability across the country, extending to the borders with Syria.
