UNIFIL Commander-in-Chief in Lebanon chairs a military meeting between Lebanon and Israel in southern Lebanon

BEIRUT — Against the backdrop of mass demonstrations on Lebanon’s southern border and the launching of a limited number of rockets towards Israel during the recent escalation in Gaza and the Palestinian territories, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) issued a statement saying that UNIFIL Commander-in-Chief Stefano del Col chaired an extraordinary military meeting between Lebanon and Israel at a United Nations position in Ras al-Naqoura in southern Lebanon.

According to the statement, discussions focused on the situation along the Blue Line, air and land violations, as well as other issues within UNIFIL’s mandate under U.N. Security Council Resolution No. 1701 and other relevant resolutions.

#UNIFIL head @stefanodelcol chaired a Tripartite meeting with officers from @LebarmyOfficial & @IDF. He emphasized the importance of UNIFIL’s liaison & coordination mechanisms, which have helped de-escalate tensions in recent weeks. https://t.co/luV89JFMce

— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) June 3, 2021

UNSCR No. 1701 calls for a complete cessation of hostilities in Lebanon, demands that Hezbollah immediate stop all attacks, and Israel to immediately cease all offensive military operations and withdraw all its forces from southern Lebanon.

The Resolution called on the Lebanese government to deploy its armed forces in the south alongside UNIFIL in conjunction with the Israeli withdrawal beyond the Blue Line. It also called on Israel and Lebanon to support a permanent ceasefire and seek a long-term solution, as well as to create an area between the Blue Line and the Litany River that would be free of any gunmen, military equipment, and weapons other than those of the Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL forces.