UN peacekeeping forces will continue to operate between the Litani River and the Israeli border in Lebanon • Ambassador Danon called on Lebanon to decide to act against Hezbollah or face destruction
i24NEWS
The UN Security Council approved an extension of UNIFIL’s mandate on Wednesday, allowing the military peacekeeping force to continue operating between the Litani River and the Israeli border in southern Lebanon. The vote passed unanimously, with all 15 voting in favor.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon echoed the sentiments, saying that he had “a message for the Lebanese people: You and your government have a choice to make.”
“Confront Hezbollah today or watch as your country is dragged into chaos and destruction. The time for action is now. Do not let Hezbollah and Iran dictate your future. If you fail to act, the devastation that follows will be on your hand. Israel does not seek war, but as we demostrated this week, we will not hesitate to defend our people. We will not tolerate Hezbollah firing rockets at our citizens. The time for the international community to act is now.”
The US alternate representative at the UN, Robert Wood, said that the Security Council “adopted Resolution 1701” after “intense fighting between Israel and Hezballah.”
Since October 8, he said, the relative calm secured by the resolution has been shattered by Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel.
The Security Council must “address the ways in which Hezballah, and other malign actors in Lebanon, prevent the full implementation of Resolution 1701, constrain UNIFIL’s ability to operate freely, and threaten UN peacekeepers’ safety and security.”