Bou Habib: Resolution 1701 Remains the Only Way to Prevent Further Violence

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants in the caretaker government, Abdullah Bou Habib, met with the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, in the presence of the Special Coordinator of the United Nations in Lebanon, Janine Hennis-Plasschaert, and the Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), General Aroldo Lazaro, along with a high-level UNIFIL delegation. They discussed the recent major events that have affected Lebanon and the region and ways to contain the escalation to prevent the expansion of war. Bou Habib stated that "the aim of the military option pursued by the Israeli government is to plunge the region into a cycle of comprehensive war that will bring nothing but destruction and ruin for all." He emphasized that "the permanent solution and ensuring security in southern Lebanon can only be achieved through diplomatic means, a ceasefire, and full and complete adherence to all relevant UN resolutions, particularly the provisions of Resolution 1701, which remains the sole means to prevent further violence, death, and destruction."