President Aoun: Lebanon insists on UNIFIL’s continued presence, and its withdrawal would create a void
President Joseph Aoun told UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix that Lebanon remains committed to UNIFIL’s continued presence, given the importance of the role it has played since the start of its mission to this day, as well as the sacrifices made by its officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers.
He said that the circumstances resulting from Israeli attacks and the occupation of southern villages and towns, most of which fall within UNIFIL’s area of operations, make the presence of international forces extremely important. Their withdrawal would create a void with negative repercussions for the security situation in the area, in addition to leaving developments there without any international monitoring. He also highlighted the social, humanitarian, healthcare and educational roles played by these forces, which have helped strengthen their ties with residents of the south, who welcome their presence, trust their role and insist that they remain in their towns and villages.
President Aoun expressed hope that the UN Security Council would respond to Lebanon’s request to maintain UNIFIL’s operational mission for the coming year, after the Council had previously set a one-year period for the withdrawal of these forces. This is particularly important if Israeli army withdraw to the international border and the Lebanese army deploys, as the army will need to benefit from the essential humanitarian and logistical services provided by UNIFIL.
