A ray of hope for peace in Lebanon is in sight after the warring
parties agreed to a ceasefire today to end the month-long
battle.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's statement from
Beirut Sunday was a timely follow-up to the resolution the Security
Council sanctioned unanimously late Friday. The resolution seeks a
"full cessation" of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and
offers the region its best chance yet for peace.
Let's hope Israel and Hezbollah will honour the spirit and
intent of the Security Council's decision. The object of the
resolution is to save civilian lives, to spare the pain and
suffering that the civilians on both sides are living through.
There will be a deployment of Lebanese troops and a
significantly expanded UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
peace-keeping presence across southern Lebanon. The withdrawal of
all Israeli forces from the same area will follow the cessation of
conflict.
The Council came up with a resolution that will ultimately
herald the start of "a process to solve the underlying political
problems in the region through political means." It was a war that
could bring victory to nobody.
The UN peacekeeping mission will monitor the cessation of
hostilities, help ensure humanitarian access to civilians and the
safe return of displaced persons. It will also support the Lebanese
government armed forces.
Friday's resolution, which should have come earlier, helped save
the Security Council's authority and integrity. It gave Annan one
week to report back on how well it has been implemented.
With an end to fighting, major challenges lie ahead for Israel,
Hezbollah, the Lebanese Government and the international community
to test their will, strength and ability.
They have to spell out a lasting political solution to the
hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon
border. The standoff has bedevilled the region for more than two
decades.
The humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Lebanese should be done
at a speedy pace. UN Under Secretary General For Humanitarian
Affairs Jan Egeland described Lebanon as one of the worst places in
the world in terms of getting aid to those most in need. His
humanitarian workers failed to reach some 200,000 people throughout
Lebanon because of the intensive fighting.
The month-long fighting has left the loss of human lives, the
destruction of houses, schools, workshops, roads, bridges and power
lines in a small country that was still in the process of
rebuilding itself. There has to be a comprehensive political
solution connected with a security solution that provides security
to both Lebanese and Israelis.
It should not be forgotten that, while attention has been
focused on Lebanon, Israeli military action in Gaza has killed some
200 people, and a good proportion of the Palestine Authority's
ministers and parliamentarians remain in detention.
Diplomacy is also needed to solve the impasse there.
(China Daily August 14, 2006)
