A spokeswoman for the US State Department told Al-Hurra that “Hezbollah’s refusal to authorize (UNIFIL) is the latest in a series of events proving that Hezbollah is more interested in its interests and the interests of its sponsor Iran than its interest in the safety and well-being of the Lebanese people.”
The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote, tomorrow, Wednesday, on renewing the mission of the international emergency forces operating in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, amid Hezbollah’s opposition to the amendment introduced last year to the mission, which allows the international emergency forces to “carry out their tasks independently.”
“The United States remains committed to the mission of UNIFIL and to the safety and security of the United Nations peacekeeping forces,” the State Department spokeswoman stressed. She pointed out that “UNIFIL’s independence and freedom of movement are two very crucial elements in its ability to accomplish its mission, and this is stipulated in the Status of Forces Agreement between UNIFIL and Lebanon, which has been in force since 1995.”
“While the language added in the 2022 mandate did not give UNIFIL any additional powers, it did confirm the international community’s commitment to UNIFIL’s freedom of movement and access to key areas of concern, which remains critical to mitigate,” said the spokeswoman, who preferred to remain anonymous. of instability along the Blue Line.
The spokeswoman renewed “the Lebanese authorities’ call to ensure UNIFIL’s freedom of movement and access, and to hold accountable those responsible for obstructing the implementation of its mandate and threatening the safety of United Nations peacekeepers.”
On Monday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah warned against extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in its current form before the UN Security Council, which the Lebanese government rejects, according to Agence France-Presse.
Thursday expires a one-year mandate for the UNIFIL force, which has been present in southern Lebanon for decades and is deployed in the border area separating Lebanon and Israel.
describes the United Nations blue linewhich extends for 120 kilometers along Lebanon’s southern border, as “the key to peace in the region.”
The international organization confirms that the line is not a border, but merely a “withdrawal line”, drawn up by the United Nations in 2000 for the practical purpose of confirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and does not prejudice any future border agreements between these two United Nations member states.
2023-08-29 21:51:02
#State #Department #UNIFILs #mandate #reveals #truth #Hezbollah
