Wronecka stresses to Mikati need to adhere to UN resolutions

Ahead of the U.N. Security Council consultations on Resolution 1701 that ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka said she discussed with caretaker PM Najib Mikati “the importance of adhering to Security Council resolutions for protecting Lebanon from a broader conflagration.”

“We also agreed on the need to elect a President and reinforce state institutions, and strengthening the army as a crucial actor for stability,” she added, after a meeting at the Grand Serail.

Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily cross-border fire since the Gaza war erupted in October, with Hezbollah saying its attacks are in support of the embattled Palestinian people and resistance.

Since the start of the confrontations, at least 317 people, mainly Hezbollah fighters but also 54 civilians, have been killed in Lebanon. Hundreds of homes have also been destroyed in the border region and around 100,000 Lebanese have been displaced.

Israel has also repeatedly warned that it might use force to secure the return of some 80,000 Israelis displaced from northern Israel.