U.N. Official Stresses Importance of Respect for Blue Line

The U.N. special coordinator for the peace process has called for the rapid formation of a government in Lebanon, saying that almost four months after Premier-designate Najib Miqati’s nomination, consultations haven’t led to a deal.

Robert Serry told the Security Council on Thursday that with the exception of the grave incident in Maroun al-Ras on May 15, the overall situation in the area of operations of UNIFIL has remained generally stable over the past month.

Serry briefed the Council of the deadly incidents which took place between Israeli security forces and Palestinians in Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, as Palestinians demonstrated to mark “Nakba Day,” and urged all parties to exercise restraint.

“We further note that the protests involved violations of the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon and the disengagement line along the occupied Golan Heights, and stress the importance of the governments in the area to ensure respect for these lines,” he said.

Israeli air violations of Lebanon continue on an almost daily basis, he said.

On the Arab-Israeli conflict, Serry said it is not immune from the political changes sweeping the Middle East, but such changes could be used to positive effect.

Two events have shown the power of those changes, he said: the late-April reconciliation between political rivals Fatah and Hamas, and the Palestinian demonstrations May 15 marking the uprooting of the Palestinians which accompanied the founding of the state of Israel in 1948.