UN Special Coordinator Joanna Wronecka intensified this week her good offices efforts to protect Lebanon from a spillover of the dramatic warfare between Israel and Hamas in Gaza since last Saturday.  She met with senior Lebanese political and security officials, representatives of political parties and the diplomatic corps and was closely coordinating with UNIFIL, that is deployed on the ground in south Lebanon.

In all her meetings, including with the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib, LAF Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun, General Security Acting Director Elias Bayssari, a number of parliamentarians and representatives of Hizbullah, the Special Coordinator emphasized the utmost importance of safeguarding Lebanon’s security and stability during this period. Expressing deep concern over incidents of exchange of fire across the Blue Line between Hizbullah and Palestinian groups on one hand and Israel on the other during the past five days, the Special Coordinator underlined the need for all sides to de-escalate, abide by the cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of Resolution 1701 to shield Lebanon and its people from further conflagration.  

With Saudi Ambassador Waleed Bukhari and the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Apostolic Nuncio Mgr. Paolo Borgia, the Special Coordinator explored diplomatic means to uphold Lebanon’s stability in the highly volatile environment