Confidence in Security and Stability Along the Blue Line

Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations said, “confidence in security and stability along the Blue Line is necessary for the communities of southern Lebanon and northern Israel.”

Addressing the Security Council 17 January, he urged the Israel Defense Forces to withdraw from Lebanese territory “without delay, certainly by the end of the period envisaged in the announcement of the cessation of hostilities.” He stressed, “critical to supporting the full implementation of resolution 1701 is the mission’s unrestricted freedom of movement and full access throughout its area of operations.

He concluded that “the ongoing returns of residents to southern Lebanon will continue as Israeli forces withdraw and as reconstruction efforts gather speed, adding that Israel has also presented a plan for the return of its residents to communities close to the Blue Line, in March 2025.