France’s Permanent Representative De Riviere made a statement to the press ahead of the closed session of the UN Security Council where the tensions at the Blue Line will be discussed. France stated that it was deeply concerned about the rising tensions and that it was taking a determined stance to reduce them. De Riviere called on all parties to exercise restraint and emphasized that international humanitarian law must be respected.
Referring to UNSC resolution 1701, de Riviere said the parties must comply with this framework and noted that France was in contact with the parties to implement the resolution. He also warned that “a full-scale war on the Israel-Lebanon border would be disastrous” and stressed that the parties must ensure the security and freedom of movement of the personnel of the UN Interim Peace Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
De Riviere announced that the extension of UNIFIL’s mandate will be discussed in the coming days. UN Security Council resolution 1701 foresees Israel withdrawing behind the Blue Line and keeping only the weapons and military equipment belonging to the Lebanese army and UNIFIL in this area. The tensions in the Blue Line are escalating with attacks in the Gaza Strip and clashes between Israeli and Lebanese Hezbollah on the northern border.
