What is the UNSC Resolution 1701 upon which the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire is based?

“This is designed to beryllium a imperishable cessation of hostilities,” helium said successful his announcement from the White House. “What is near of Hezbollah and different violent organisations volition not beryllium allowed to endanger the information of Israel again.”

The onset of Israel’s relentless battle connected Palestine successful October 2023 has seen an summation successful hostilities on the UN-demarcated Blue Line, the de facto borderline separating Israel and Lebanon.

The ceasefire connection draws connected the provisions of Resolution 1701 passed by the UN Security Council (UNSC) successful 2006. Skirmishes crossed the borderline continued, and the solution was ne'er afloat implemented astatine the time. We explain.

What is Resolution 1701?

Quite simply, the UNSC Resolution 1701 aims astatine ending hostilities betwixt Hezbollah and Israel, and calls for the instauration of a buffer portion arsenic good arsenic a imperishable ceasefire.

The solution meant to implicit the withdrawal of Israeli forces successful 2000 from confederate Lebanon on the ‘Blue Line’ and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

In July 2006, Israel invaded Lebanon aft Hezbollah killed 3 Israeli soldiers and kidnapped 2 others. The warfare lasted implicit a period and resulted successful the deaths of implicit 1,000 Lebanese radical and 170 Israelis.

The UNSC unanimously passed Resolution 1701 connected August 11, 2006, calling for a afloat cessation of hostilities betwixt Israel and Hezbollah.

The 19-paragraph solution calls for a semipermanent solution based connected the pursuing provisions:

• The afloat implementation of the applicable provisions of the Taif Accords and resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1680 (2006), requiring the disarmament of each equipped groups successful Lebanon, truthful determination volition beryllium nary weapons oregon authorization successful the state different than that of the Lebanese State
• No overseas forces successful Lebanon without the Government’s consent
• No income oregon proviso of arms and related materials to Lebanon but arsenic authorised by its Government
• Provision to the UN of each remaining maps of landmines successful Lebanon successful Israel’s possession
• Full respect by some parties for the Blue Line and information arrangements to forestall the resumption of hostilities, including an country escaped of immoderate equipped personnel, assets and weapons different than those of the Lebanese authorities and UNIFIL betwixt the Blue Line and the Litani River.
• The Security Council frankincense authorised the UNIFIL unit spot to a maximum of 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers to show the extremity of hostilities, assistance unafraid the country with Lebanese troops and guarantee the harmless instrumentality of displaced Lebanese.

And what does the existent ceasefire connection say?

The US-backed connection falls firmly wrong the limits of the solution and calls for a cessation of hostilities betwixt Israel and Hezbollah wrong 60 days. This play volition let Hezbollah fighters to retreat 40 kilometres distant from the Israel-Lebanon border. Israeli crushed forces are expected to retreat from the Lebanese territory they person occupied since October 2023.

Lebanon is expected to instrumentality a rigorous supervision of Hezbollah’s movements southbound of the country’s Litani river, to forestall militants from regrouping there. These would beryllium monitored by UN peacekeeping troops, the Lebanese subject and a multinational committee.

Israel, connected the different hand, has vowed to resume subject operations successful lawsuit of a breach of the agreement.