The United States has refused to extend UNIFIL or fund a new UN presence in south Lebanon, while Israel rejects pilot zones and signals expansion of military operations beyond the Blue Line.
The US took a firm position during a recent Security Council meeting against extending UNIFIL or financing any new UN deployment, citing the force's failure to prevent Hezbollah from developing its military arsenal.
In recent weeks, discussion centred on Italian forces to monitor Hezbollah disarmament in coordination with the Lebanese army. During a recent visit to Rome, President Joseph Aoun heard Italy refuse to participate in such an operation without guarantees from both Israel and Hezbollah, guarantees that remain absent.
Israel has rejected the pilot zones concept, declaring the experiment a failure and the Lebanese army incapable of implementing the mission. Simultaneously, Israel has expanded operations beyond the Blue Line, suggesting broader military intentions and signalling no intention to withdraw.
These developments form part of a larger agenda to eliminate UN Resolution 1701 entirely and replace it with a framework agreement in the Security Council. The Israeli objective, backed by the US, is to abandon all existing agreements and operate under a bilateral Israeli-Lebanese accord that would coordinate the two armies without international oversight, relying instead on the US-sponsored Military Coordination Group, MCG4L.
