Lebanon
Expected Council Action
In March, Council members expect to receive a briefing in consultations on the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of resolution 1701. Adopted in 2006, resolution 1701 called for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. The Secretary-General’s report, which is due on 11 March, will cover the period from 21 October 2024 to 20 February. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix are the anticipated briefers.
Council members will be following regional developments, including in Lebanon and Israel, and will assess whether additional Council action is required.
The mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires on 31 August.
Key Recent Developments
A cessation-of-hostilities arrangement between Israel and Lebanon entered into effect on 27 November 2024 following more than 13 months of hostilities, primarily involving Israel and Hezbollah. The arrangement, which was brokered by the US and France, says that Israel will not carry out any offensive military operations against Lebanese targets in the territory of Lebanon and that the Lebanese government will prevent Hezbollah and all other armed groups from conducting operations against Israel. Under the terms of the arrangement, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) will also dismantle unauthorised infrastructure and confiscate unauthorised arms, among other tasks. The arrangement outlines a 60-day deadline for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to withdraw south of the Blue Line and, in parallel, for the LAF to deploy to positions south of the Litani River. (The Blue Line is a withdrawal line set by the UN in 2000 to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. While not representing an international border, the Blue Line acts in practice as a boundary between Lebanon and Israel in the absence of an agreed-upon border between the two states.)
According to Israeli media reports, also cited by Lebanese news outlets, the US bilaterally provided additional guarantees to Israel with respect to the ceasefire implementation, including recognising “Israel’s right to respond to Hezbollah threats”.
On 26 January, the day of the expiration of the 60-day period stipulated in the cessation-of-hostilities arrangement for the IDF withdrawal and LAF deployment, Israel and Lebanon agreed to an extension of the deadline until 18 February following concerns expressed by both parties that the respective withdrawal and deployment were progressing too slowly. Hours before the extension of the deadline, Israeli forces in several southern Lebanon locations opened fire on demonstrators who were demanding Israel’s withdrawal, some of whom were reportedly carrying Hezbollah flags. At least 22 people were killed and 124 were injured, including six women and an LAF soldier, according to an article by the Associated Press that cited Lebanese health officials.
On 9 January, the Lebanese Parliament elected former LAF Commander Joseph Aoun as President of the Republic, ending a prolonged political stalemate. On 13 January, Aoun designated Nawaf Salam, former President of the International Court of Justice, as Prime Minister. Salam announced the formation of a new government on 8 February.
In a 16 January presidential statement, the Security Council welcomed the election of Aoun and Salam’s designation. It also welcomed the cessation-of-hostilities arrangement, expressed concern about reported violations, and called for all violations to stop.
By mid-February, the IDF had withdrawn from areas in southern Lebanon broadly corresponding to Sector West of UNIFIL’s area of operations, where the LAF had deployed, often in coordination with UNIFIL. In areas in southern Lebanon that remained under Israeli control, the IDF continued to target Hezbollah’s military assets. According to a 13 February statement by UN independent experts, during its operations, Israeli forces had also targeted civilians attempting to return to their homes, demolished housing, and destroyed crops and infrastructure with tanks, bulldozers and heavy weaponry.
On 14 February, a UNIFIL convoy transporting peacekeepers to Beirut airport was attacked, a vehicle set on fire, and several peacekeepers were injured. In a statement issued on the same day, Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack and called for accountability. The attack took place following a decision by Lebanese authorities to revoke permission for two Iranian flights to land in Beirut. According to an article by the Associated Press, the decision “came after the Israeli army issued a statement claiming that Iran was smuggling cash” to Hezbollah via civilian flights, “leading some in Lebanon to allege that their country’s authorities had caved in the face of a threat from Israel”. A group of people aligned with Hezbollah who were protesting the decision along the airport road was reportedly involved in the attack. A Hezbollah official later denied the group had any involvement in the incident.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of Hezbollah’s loss of military power and political influence in Lebanon following the war with Israel and the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which has led to the loss of a key military supply route for Hezbollah from Iran through Syria.
On 18 February, the expiration date for the extended deadline for the IDF withdrawal and LAF deployment, the IDF withdrew from most areas under its control in southern Lebanon. It retained, however, a presence in five positions in Lebanese territory near the Blue Line. Announcing its decision regarding the five positions, the IDF reportedly said on 17 February that it will remain there “until Israel is certain that Hezbollah will not return to the area south of the Litani River”. In a joint statement on 18 February, Aoun, Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stressed “the urgent need for Israel’s full withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory” and announced that they would appeal to the Security Council to “compel Israel’s immediate withdrawal” and to enforce resolution 1701.
During a media briefing on 18 February, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric said that the LAF was continuing to deploy throughout southern Lebanon with UNIFIL’s support, and displaced communities were returning to their homes.
In an apparent reference to the IDF’s decision to retain a presence in Lebanese territory, Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro said in a statement, that “[a]nother delay” in the process of implementing the cessation-of-hostilities arrangement was not what they had “hoped would happen, not least because it continues a violation” of resolution 1701. The statement added, however, that the delay should not “overshadow the tangible progress” achieved since the cessation of hostilities came into force.
In an 18 February statement, France called on all parties to accept its proposal that UNIFIL, including the mission’s French contingent, deploys to the five positions to replace the IDF. At the time of writing, the proposal has apparently not been officially taken up. Analysts have observed that the IDF’s presence in Lebanese territory could reinvigorate Hezbollah’s rhetoric about the need for an armed movement in Lebanon to resist Israel’s encroachment.
The funeral of Hezbollah’s former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in September 2024, took place on 23 February. In a recorded message played during the funeral, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem reportedly said that “the resistance will continue” based on “new developments and the current period”, while also stressing that “it is now the responsibility of the state” to ensure Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
In January, Lebanese Judge Tarek Bitar resumed the investigation into the 4 August 2020 Beirut port explosion, which had been stalled for several years because of political interference and legal challenges.
Human Rights-Related Developments
In a 16 January statement addressing his recent visit to Syria and Lebanon, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed solidarity with the people of both countries. He conveyed hopefulness about Lebanon’s future, noting signs of new beginnings despite “immense challenges” ahead, and accentuated the critical importance of the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. Türk offered the assistance of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to support the Lebanese authorities’ commitments to undertake reforms to strengthen the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary and efforts to hold to account those responsible for the Beirut port explosion. Among other things, he noted that Israeli military action in Lebanon “caused wide-scale loss of civilian life”, raising “serious concerns” about the respect for the principles of proportionality, distinction, and precaution. He also stressed the need for the ceasefire to transition into a durable peace and for a renewal of the social contract in Lebanon.
Women, Peace and Security
In a dialogue facilitated by UN Women during Guterres’ 16-19 January visit to Lebanon, women’s rights activists and representatives of feminist civil society organisations emphasised the importance of Lebanon’s recovery, reconciliation and reconstruction efforts to be gender-responsive and inclusive. They also called for the implementation of policies that ensure women’s equal participation in political decision-making processes, including municipal elections in May and parliamentary elections expected in 2026.
Key Issues and Options
Ensuring the full implementation and sustained adherence to the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah remains the Security Council’s foremost immediate priority.
Council members could consider issuing a press or presidential statement that:
- Urges all parties to fully implement the cessation-of-hostilities arrangement, resolution 1701, and the Security Council’s previous relevant resolutions;
- Demands the swift withdrawal of the IDF from all the positions it occupies in Lebanese territory and the prompt deployment of the LAF;
- Expresses support for the French proposal to deploy UNIFIL troops to the five positions occupied by the IDF;
- Calls on the international community to provide support to the LAF so that it can effectively implement its side of the cessation-of-hostilities arrangement and resolution 1701;
- Stresses the importance of protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, guaranteeing the safety and security of UNIFIL peacekeepers, and fully adhering to international law; and
- Encourages reforms to promote socioeconomic recovery.
Council Dynamics
Council members agree on the need for the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah to hold and on the importance of guaranteeing safety and security for UNIFIL peacekeepers.
There are sharp differences in Council members’ views of Hezbollah. Some members distinguish between Hezbollah’s political and military wings and have only designated its military wing as a terrorist organisation; other members, including the UK and the US, have listed Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organisation. On the other hand, Russia sees Hezbollah as a legitimate socio-political force in Lebanon.
In December 2024 and January, Council members discussed the possibility of a Council visiting mission to Lebanon, spearheaded by Algeria. It appears that most members supported this proposal. The US, however, argued that a visit could undermine progress towards implementation of the cessation-of-hostilities arrangement, an assessment that was apparently not shared by any other Council member.
France is the penholder on Lebanon. The US chairs the mechanism tasked in the cessation-of-hostilities arrangement with monitoring, verifying, and assisting in “ensuring enforcement” of the commitments outlined in the arrangement. It is a reformulated version of the tripartite mechanism established following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, which consisted of representatives of UNIFIL, the IDF, and the LAF, and was chaired by UNIFIL. Under the terms of the cessation of hostilities, the revised mechanism also includes France and is hosted by UNIFIL.
| Security Council Resolutions | |
| 28 August 2024S/RES/2749 | This resolution extended the mandate of UNIFIL for another year until 31 August 2025. |
| 11 August 2006S/RES/1701 | This resolution called for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. It also expanded UNIFIL’s mandate. |
| Security Council Presidential Statements | |
| 16 January 2025S/PRST/2025/1 | This was a presidential statement welcoming the election of the President of the Republic of Lebanon Joseph Aoun and the designation of Nawaf Salam as Prime Minister. It also welcomed the 29 November 2024 cessation of hostilities arrangement between Israel and Lebanon, expressed concern about reported violations, and called for all violations to stop. |
