The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in the caretaker government, Abdullah Bou Habib, emphasized that “Lebanon’s official stance is satisfied with the final version of the UNIFIL renewal resolution, and that “we would have preferred the coordination issue to be clearer, but the format is good and requires further refinement next year.”

Bou Habib added via an interview with MTV: “The final format of the UNIFIL renewal resolution ensures to a great extent that there is no contact between UNIFIL forces and the local population. However, the land borders with Israel must be secured to completely prevent such contact. We have discussed this matter with the US envoy, Amos Hochstein, and he promised to address it with the Israelis and offered assistance in this regard.”

He continued: “We managed to ensure our stay in Chapter VI. Last year’s format was a ‘masked Chapter VII,’ and we engaged in important negotiations in the Security Council. The effort was collaborative, and there were communications with the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Hezbollah, among others.”