On the eve of the ceasefire in the Gaza war, which will include Lebanon, blood once again flowed in the south due to Israeli bombardment, amidst a wave of escalation that reached a new peak yesterday. This escalation was central to the briefing provided by the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, to the Security Council regarding the implementation of Resolution 1701 (2006).
What is the status of the south concerning the anticipated ceasefire in the Gaza war? According to official information from "Nidaa al-Watan," the Gaza ceasefire "will apply to southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah will adhere to it provided that Israel does the same." It was reported that discussions had previously taken place between the military leadership and the party to reach a ceasefire that would allow residents of the border area to harvest olives and prepare tobacco crops, but this effort failed due to escalating tensions.
From the south to New York, diplomatic sources indicated that the Security Council session, which was intended to review the implementation of Resolution 1701, was "routine, although the surrounding circumstances are extraordinary." Sources revealed a traditional division of opinion between Russia and China on one hand, and the United States and Britain on the other, with France playing a mediating role between the two sides. These sources noted, "The French presented a proposal consisting of three journalistic elements that the Chinese representative was supposed to express at the end of the session; however, the American representative insisted that the statement include a clear condemnation of Hezbollah, which was rejected by the Chinese and Russian delegates, leading to the abandonment of the idea for a press conference that was supposed to take place after the session."
There had been speculations before the session that the United States would seek to condemn Hezbollah following the military court's release of Mohammed Ayad, a Hezbollah member accused of killing Irish soldier Sean Rooney, who was working in UNIFIL, on December 14 of last year. The Security Council acknowledged the briefing provided by Wronecka, who expressed "deep concern regarding the daily confrontations across the Blue Line since October 8." She stated that the developments in the south highlight "the importance of having a strong and well-supported Lebanese army to successfully implement Resolution 1701" and called for "increased global support for state security institutions."
