Kataeb MP Elias Hankach emphasized the critical importance of fully implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 alongside the recent extension of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), underscoring that maintaining security and stability in southern Lebanon requires not only the renewal of international oversight but also a comprehensive application of the resolution.

"Even though the extension of UNIFIL’s mandate constitutes a renewal of international support to maintain security and stability in southern Lebanon, the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 is equally important," Hankach told Kuwait’s Al-Anbaa newspaper.

The lawmaker pointed out that U.S. President Joe Biden’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Amos Hochstein, emphasized efforts to draft an agreement similar in content to Resolution 1701 during his meetings with opposition forces in Lebanon and Washington. However, Hankach highlighted that the United Nations continues to operate based on existing resolutions and will adhere to Resolution 1701 in its entirety until a complementary decision or alternative agreement is established.

"What is happening today in southern Lebanon is proof that the United Nations needs to follow up on the implementation of Security Council resolutions. If the United Nations had ensured the full implementation of Resolution 1701, along with Resolutions 1559 and 1680, which mandate the deployment of the Lebanese army along the southern border and the enforcement of its authority in the area north of the Litani River, the same cycle of violence and destruction would not have happened again," he explained.

"However, what happened is that the United Nations only implemented the ceasefire in 2006, which fell apart a year and a half later with Hezbollah’s invasion of Beirut on May 7, 2008, due to the continued presence of non-state and illegitimate weapons.”

Hankach stressed the need for continuous development and refinement of every UN agreement in line with changing circumstances, calling upon the United Nations and the Security Council to ensure the effectiveness of any resolution or agreement they issue.

"The concern should not be merely the security stability of northern Israel, but also the security and political stability of Lebanon through finding a solution to weapons outside the legitimate Lebanese framework," he said. "The Lebanese army alone is capable of fully shouldering its responsibilities. The army has the trust of all Lebanese in terms of protecting borders and sovereignty, as well as dealing decisively with any threat or aggression, regardless of its source."

In addressing the broader implications of the current regional conflict, Hankach asserted that the top priority remains the election of a president and the restoration of regularity to constitutional institutions.

"It is the duty of Parliament to adhere to the constitution and elect the president even in times of war," he stated.

“Unfortunately, the keys to Parliament are in the hands of Speaker Nabih Berri, a partner of Hezbollah in the political game, who, under the pretext of calling for dialogue, refuses to set a date for the presidential election session. This aligns with Hezbollah’s desire to maintain the presidential vacuum per its agenda, goals, and its monopoly over decisions of war and peace."

"The opposition is not standing idly by while the keys to Parliament are being confiscated. Despite the dangerous military situation in the region, it continues to communicate with the Quintet Committee and other international community actors to release these keys. The war in the region will end with a certain agreement, and Hezbollah is expected to try to leverage the war’s outcomes in the presidential battle for its axis’ benefit. But those with such ambitions should know that the opposition will be vigilant and ready to confront any attempt to seize control of the presidency again,” Hankach affirmed.