BEIRUT, Nov. 14, 2022 (Xinhua) — The commander of the United Nations Forces Operating in South Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major General Aroldo Lázaro, today (Monday) urged Lebanon and Israel to take proactive measures to prevent violations and behavior provocateurs on both sides and to bring the perpetrators to account.
This was stated in a UNIFIL statement released after the periodic tripartite military meeting between UNIFIL and senior officers of the Lebanese and Israeli army, held today at the UNIFIL headquarters at the Ras Naqura crossing point, on the Lebanese-Israeli border.
Tripartite meetings are held monthly under the leadership of UNIFIL since the enactment of UN Resolution 1701 in 2006. This mechanism is described as essential for conflict management and confidence-building between the parties. It is also the only forum where representatives of Lebanon and Israel meet.
Major General Lazaro congratulated representatives of the Lebanese army and the Israeli army on the recent historic maritime agreement, according to the statement, noting that it demonstrates that seemingly intractable differences can be resolved.
On 27 October, Lebanon and Israel completed the demarcation of their common maritime borders, after entering into two-year indirect negotiations, with US mediation and the auspices of the United Nations, on the delimitation of borders in an area believed contains petroleum resources in the Mediterranean.
Major General Latharou has urged senior officials in the Lebanese Armed Forces and Israeli Army to prevent any activity that could jeopardize the cessation of hostilities.
The statement indicated that discussions focused during the meeting on the situation along the “blue line”, air and land violations, freedom of movement of peacekeepers and other issues within UNIFIL’s mandate under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and subsequent resolutions.
The “Blue Line” is the 120 kilometer line drawn by the United Nations between Lebanon and Israel in the year 2000, of which Lebanon reserves 17. The line was established in that year with the aim of verifying the withdrawal of forces Israelis from most of southern Lebanon, and is a temporary line up to the border demarcation between the two countries.
UNIFIL has been operating in southern Lebanon since 1978 to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the south, and was strengthened in 2006 with Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah in July of the same year.
According to its latest data, UNIFIL comprises some 9,923 peacekeepers from 48 countries.
