From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 21, 2024
Hochstein: Israel, Lebanon committing to UN Resolution 1701 is not enough to end conflict
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US special envoy Amos Hochstein says in Beirut that Lebanon and Israel just committing to UN Resolution 1701 is not enough and that the United States is working to devise a formula to end the conflict once and for all.
“Tying Lebanon’s future to other conflicts in the region was not and is not in the interest of the Lebanese people,” Hochstein says after meeting with Lebanon’s parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, adding that the United States wants to end the conflict “as soon as possible.”
UN Resolution 1701, which ended the last round of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, calls for southern Lebanon to be free of any troops or weapons other than those of the Lebanese state.
The resolution has gone largely unenforced since it was passed in 2006, allowing Hezbollah to build up a formidable arms cache and defensive capabilities, with neither UNIFIL peacekeepers nor the LAF willing to challenge the Iran-backed terror group.
Israel has repeatedly portrayed its offensive in southern Lebanon as essentially stepping in and doing UNIFIL’s job for it.
The Times of Israel Community.