Lebanon: Open Briefing
Tomorrow morning (11 March), the Security Council is expected to hold a briefing under the agenda item “The situation in the Middle East” focused on the situation in Lebanon. The expected briefers are Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher. The meeting was requested by France, joined by Bahrain, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, and the UK. Prior to the meeting, France is expected to deliver a statement at the stakeout on behalf of the troop-contributing countries (TCCs) of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
DiCarlo is expected to update members on recent developments in Lebanon. Overnight between 1 and 2 March, shortly after the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hezbollah fired projectiles at Israel, stating that the action was taken in response to Khamenei’s assassination. The projectiles reportedly landed in open areas or were intercepted. In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out large-scale airstrikes on what it said were Hezbollah targets in several areas of Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, the Bekaa valley, and the south.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that the launch of projectiles towards Israel was an “irresponsible” act endangering Lebanon’s safety and security, and Justice Minister Adel Nassar ordered the arrest of those responsible for these launches. On 2 March, the Lebanese government prohibited all military activities by Hezbollah and requested the LAF and Lebanese security services to “take all necessary measures to prevent any military operation or any rocket or drone fire from Lebanese territory”.
On 2 March, IDF officials reportedly said that the Israeli military will continue the war until the threat posed by Hezbollah is “eliminated”. Israeli authorities have also announced that the IDF will take control of “additional strategic positions” in southern Lebanon in order to create a buffer zone. Several IDF incursions into Lebanese territory and military activities have since been reported, as well as active combat between the IDF and Hezbollah. The group has also continued to launch rockets and other projectiles towards Israel. On 9 March, Hezbollah officials reportedly said that the group will continue to fight Israel “whatever the cost”. (For background, see the brief on Lebanon in our March 2026 Monthly Forecast.)
Tomorrow, Council members will be interested in DiCarlo’s assessment of the prospects for de-escalation and may seek an update on UN efforts to advance this objective. In a 7 March statement, Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert noted that, before the escalation, Lebanon had been making steady progress, including on advancing state authority, carrying out reform, and preparing for elections. She stressed that renewed violence will only deepen instability and suffering, as past conflicts have shown. The statement called for restraint and for talks between Lebanon and Israel as the essential path to break recurring cycles of violence.
Yesterday (9 March), Hennis-Plasschaert began an official visit to Israel to meet senior Israeli officials for talks. The statement on her visit noted that the “urgent need for a recommitment to the full implementation” of resolution 1701, which in 2006 called for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, “will be central to her engagements”. Upon her return to Lebanon, Hennis-Plasschaert will reportedly meet with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
During a 9 March call with European Union (EU) leaders, Aoun called for direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, as well as for support from the international community for a new initiative that would include establishing a full ceasefire, strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), and disarming Hezbollah. According to media reports, however, proposals for negotiations and de-escalation have thus far been turned down by Israel and the US.
Tomorrow, Fletcher is expected to provide an update on the humanitarian situation in Lebanon. Figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health indicate that 394 people, including 83 children, were killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon between 2 and 8 March. According to a 7 March humanitarian update by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), approximately 500,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) self-registered on the Lebanese government’s IDP online platform following displacement orders issued by the IDF for large parts of Lebanese territory, including the area south of the Litani River and Beirut’s southern suburbs. According to media reports, however, this figure likely under-estimates the real number of IDPs. The OCHA update further notes that the healthcare system “is experiencing growing pressure as casualty numbers increase” and that essential services, such as water, sanitation, and electricity, are under “increasing stress”, particularly in municipalities hosting large numbers of IDPs.
Lacroix is expected to address the challenges faced by UNIFIL in the current situation. In a 6 March statement, UNIFIL reported that “[a]midst heavy firing”, three peacekeepers were injured inside their base in Al Qawzah in southwestern Lebanon. In a statement issued later the same day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the incident and underscored that “the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be respected at all times, and that those responsible must be held accountable”. Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric said on 9 March that an investigation into the attack is ongoing.
Many participants at tomorrow’s meeting are expected to voice alarm about the intensification of hostilities and urge all parties to immediately de-escalate, recommit to a return to a cessation of hostilities, and fully adhere to their obligations under Security Council resolution 1701. Several Council members are also likely to emphasise the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon. Council members and the briefers are likely to express concern at the rising number of civilian casualties, particularly among children, and stress the need to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian law.
Some participants may outline possible steps for de-escalation. For instance, France might reiterate recent messages by President Emmanuel Macron on the situation in Lebanon and call on Hezbollah to cease all attacks from Lebanese territory and on Israel to halt its operations and strikes in Lebanon in order to allow the LAF to take responsibility for security across the entire Lebanese territory.
In this context, several Council members are expected to welcome the 2 March decision by the Lebanese government to prohibit Hezbollah’s military activities. The government also called on the LAF to “immediately and firmly begin implementing” its disarmament plan north of the Litani River, “using all necessary means”. (This refers to the plan, launched in August 2025, to extend state authority over the entirety of Lebanese territory, which includes the disarmament of non-state groups in Lebanon, including Hezbollah.)
Several members, including the US, Israel’s key ally on the Security Council and in the ongoing war against Iran, are likely to accuse Hezbollah and Iran of destabilising the region, entangling Lebanon in the hostilities, and posing a threat to regional and international peace and security. The US might also accuse the Lebanese authorities of moving too slowly to disarm Hezbollah.
Other members may underscore that the use of force cannot resolve international disputes and may instead highlight the importance of diplomatic efforts and the need to address the root causes of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as the broader regional conflict.
Many participants are also expected to express concern at recent attacks on UNIFIL and underscore that all parties must guarantee the safety and security of UN personnel and premises. Some Council members may stress that the ongoing hostilities in Lebanon underscore the need for the continuation of a UN presence in southern Lebanon after the end of UNIFIL’s mandate. (UNIFIL has entered the final year of its operations following the Council’s decision in August 2025 to extend its mandate for a final time until 31 December—a move largely driven by the US, which had signalled its readiness to veto the renewal if it did not contain a clear date for the mission’s termination. For more information, see our 28 August 2025 What’s in Blue story.)
Council members are likely to continue closely watching developments in Lebanon and the Middle East and evaluate whether additional Council action is needed and possible options. The regular closed consultations on the implementation of resolution 1701 are scheduled for 17 March. Lacroix and Hennis-Plasschaert are the anticipated briefers at that meeting.
