A UN Security Council delegation calls for all parties to uphold the 2024 truce and supports Lebanon’s state monopoly on arms as the army moves to disarm Hezbollah.
BEIRUT: A United Nations Security Council delegation has urged all parties to uphold a year-old ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The delegation expressed support for Lebanon’s state monopoly on weapons at the end of a visit to the country.
“We came to Beirut at a pivotal time for the implementation of… the cessation of hostilities agreement of November of last year,” Slovenian UN ambassador Samuel Zbogar told reporters.
Zbogar, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the UN body, said all parties must uphold the November 2024 agreement.
He reaffirmed the council’s support for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and commitment to implementing Resolution 1701.
That 2006 Security Council decision forms the basis of the current truce.
Under heavy US pressure, Lebanon’s government has committed to disarming Hezbollah.
The army is set to dismantle the group’s military infrastructure near the border by year end before tackling the rest of the country.
“We support the Lebanese government’s decision to ensure the state’s monopoly of arms,” Zbogar said.
He also urged intensified international support for Lebanon’s army.
The delegation met senior officials including President Joseph Aoun and visited conflict-hit south Lebanon near the Israeli border.
They visited peacekeepers from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
In August, the Security Council voted to extend UNIFIL’s mandate until the end of 2026.
The force is then set to withdraw from Lebanon by the end of the following year.
Zbogar said the visit examined options for implementing Resolution 1701 after UNIFIL’s departure.
“This is a topic that will deserve a thorough conversation during 2026,” he added.
He emphasised that the safety of peacekeepers must be respected and that they must never be targeted.
Lebanon’s army said it arrested six people following an attack by gunmen on UNIFIL personnel this week.
President Aoun told the delegation that Lebanon does not want war with Israel.
This came days after civilian representatives from both sides held their first talks in decades.
