By Jana Choukeir
DUBAI (Reuters) – A United Nations resolution that ended the last round of deadly conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006 is seen as the cornerstone of a new ceasefire being negotiated by the United States.
Adopted in August 2006, the 19-paragraph resolution was key to ending the month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 and paving the way for long-term stability along the border.
The resolution mandated an immediate cessation of hostilities, with both parties agreeing to stop fighting. While critical, the ceasefire faced challenges and violations over the years, but it laid the foundation for ending open conflict.
Here are the resolution’s main terms, and a note about subsequent violations and tensions.
RESPECT OF BLUE LINE AND SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS
Both parties must respect the Blue Line, the border between Lebanon and Israel. The resolution also creates a buffer zone between the Blue Line and the Litani River (some 30 km or about 20 miles north of the border), free of armed personnel, assets, and weapons, except those of the Lebanese authorities and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
DISARMAMENT AND WEAPONS EMBARGO OF ARMED GROUPS
The resolution calls for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon and mandates that no arms or related materiel can be sold or supplied to Lebanon unless authorized by the government.
NO FOREIGN FORCES WITHOUT GOVERNMENT CONSENT
The resolution demands that no foreign forces be present in Lebanon without the consent of the Lebanese government. This provision aims to safeguard Lebanon’s independence and prevent external influence in its internal affairs.
DEPLOYMENT OF UNIFIL AND LEBANESE TROOPS
A key element of Resolution 1701 was the expanded mandate of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force, formed in 1978 to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops that had invaded southern Lebanon early on in Lebanon’s civil war.
UNIFIL was tasked in 2006 with monitoring the ceasefire, overseeing Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon, and ensuring the area remained free of armed groups except the Lebanese Army.
In parallel, Lebanon’s national army was called upon to take control of southern Lebanon.
TENSIONS AND VIOLATIONS SINCE 2006
While the ceasefire largely held after the adoption of U.N. Resolution 1701, violations and tensions persisted over the years. Both sides have accused each other of provocations.
Lebanon has filed dozens of complaints to the U.N., especially about Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty, including over 35,000 airspace violations since 2006, as stated by Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in May.
Meanwhile, Israel has long complained the resolution was not implemented and Hezbollah remained armed at the border.
U.S.-led efforts for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah have underscored that the resolution remained key in mitigating or ending the latest rounds of conflict, but that it needed to be better implemented.
(Reporting by Jana Choukeir, Editing by William Maclean)
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