Overview
- President Joseph Aoun met a visiting UN Security Council delegation, which is set to inspect the border region with U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus joining the tour.
- Aoun called for pressure on Israel to respect the November 2024 ceasefire, withdraw from positions inside Lebanon, and halt attacks that the UN says have killed more than 300 people, including at least 127 civilians.
- Civilian envoys from Lebanon and Israel joined the ceasefire monitoring committee, with Beirut emphasizing goals such as stopping hostilities, securing captive returns, scheduling withdrawals, and resolving Blue Line disputes before talks resume on December 19.
- Aoun sought backing for the army’s phased plan to dismantle non-state weapons, expected to complete its first stage by year-end, while Hezbollah rejected disarmament, supported diplomacy, and condemned the addition of a civilian delegate.
- UN peacekeepers labeled recent Israeli strikes clear violations of Resolution 1701 and reported their vehicles were fired on near Bint Jbeil, as Speaker Nabih Berri warned that negotiating under fire is unacceptable.