Five days before the Security Council meeting to review the implementation of Resolution 1701, the case concerning the release of the military court defendant charged with killing Irish soldier Sean Rooney (23 years old), who was part of the Irish battalion serving in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, continues to develop. In the absence of any official stance regarding the circumstances surrounding the release of the accused, Mohammed Ayad, who belongs to Hezbollah, information from "Nidaa al-Watan" indicated that relevant authorities in the United Nations are holding meetings with official bodies to understand the justification for the court's decision.
According to further information reported by "Nidaa al-Watan," international action regarding the murder of the Irish soldier is not only aimed at gathering information but also preparing a report that may be incorporated into the document the United Nations will submit to the Security Council at next week’s meeting. A source from the international community involved in some communications with Lebanon questioned: "On what basis was the accused who committed the murder of the Irish soldier released? Is this how countries that contribute to UNIFIL are rewarded, by sending their sons to Lebanon to establish peace there?"
In the context of monitoring developments in the Gaza war and its repercussions on Lebanon, the international official informed his interlocutors in Lebanon that it is ironic that Resolution 1701, which restored peace to Lebanon after the 2006 war, is also among the ideas being discussed to restore peace to Gaza. Some who met with this official concluded that Lebanon must assume its responsibilities to defend this resolution "to preserve itself amid the current storm of violence hitting Lebanon."
