Lebanese Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Discusses UNIFIL Fate and Resolution 1701 with Foreign Minister

The Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Committee held a session at the Parliament House chaired by MP Fadi Alama, attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Youssef Rajji and committee members.

After the session, Alama stated: "The Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Committee met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, a team from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and MPs. It was a responsible and frank dialogue between committee members and the minister amidst the exceptional circumstances facing the country and the region as a whole. The minister briefed us on the results of recent contacts and efforts made to preserve Lebanon's security and stability, and the committee affirmed its commitment to any endeavor that protects Lebanon's sovereignty and interests in Arab and international forums."

He noted that "the topic that took up discussion was the issue of UNIFIL and Resolution 1701, especially since, according to Resolution 2790, this force's mandate ends at the end of the year, and the withdrawal process begins at the start of 2027, which creates a kind of vacuum that could occur in southern Lebanon."

He continued: "We informed the minister about the developments taking place, the preparations made previously to avoid this trajectory, the pressure currently exerted on Lebanon, and the solutions being studied now. We are waiting for negotiations to know their course. Our focus was that we, as a committee and as MPs, made an effort where 86 MPs signed a petition submitted to the United Nations calling for the extension of UNIFIL. It seems things are moving in a direction we do not expect, with a decision not to renew UNIFIL."

He added: "In the weeks remaining, there will be negotiations, and there are some unclear solutions, frankly. We agreed to follow up in this area and affirmed, as Lebanese, that any type of composition that may emerge is acceptable. European countries are appreciated if they wish to participate, as well as Arab countries. What concerns us is that it must be under an international umbrella to protect the Lebanese people." Alama indicated that "there was a discussion about the humanitarian situation of displaced Lebanese and villages being systematically destroyed, and the current efforts focused on helping Lebanese return to their areas," saying: "There was also talk about the framework agreement and what the scenario might be in case of withdrawal. The path related to the framework agreement was questioned, but we did not receive clear answers. The minister promised to follow up with the Lebanese government and keep us informed about the nature of possible movements."