Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib delivered a 17-minute address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, omitting any mention of Hezbollah or Hamas. Instead, he focused on criticizing Israel for alleged war crimes, specifically targeting civilian populations.
Bouhabib’s speech neglected to acknowledge the months-long bombardment of Israeli civilian targets by Lebanese Hezbollah. He also sidestepped the October 7 atrocities, which sparked the conflict in Gaza and subsequently drew in Lebanon due to Hezbollah’s support for Hamas.
A striking aspect of Bouhabib’s speech was his complaint about the deteriorating security situation in the region, commencing on October 8th, without referencing the events of the previous day that may have contributed to the escalation.
The foreign minister expressed outrage over Israel’s alleged destruction of Hezbollah’s communication devices, terming it a “detestable and repugnant” act. He described the devices, which were held by Hezbollah operatives, as “civilian devices” that were “transformed into ticking time bombs,” resulting in the loss of dozens of lives, including those of children and women.
Bouhabib also condemned Israel’s bombing of civilian structures in Lebanon, failing to mention that Hezbollah often embeds its military assets within such buildings.
Throughout his speech, Bouhabib reiterated the familiar narrative that Israel bears sole responsibility for the violence due to its refusal to acquiesce to Palestinian demands. He invoked various U.N. resolutions, omitting any reference to Hezbollah or its activities, as well as the destabilizing agenda of its Iranian patrons.
The Lebanese foreign minister called for urgent international intervention to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, disregarding the possibility that Lebanon’s own terrorist groups might be contributing to the instability.
Bouhabib attributed the ongoing conflict to the “occupation,” stating that the absence of a lasting solution is the root cause of the instability. He reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to the U.N.’s role in defending against “occupation, violence, devastation, and oppression.”
The foreign minister emphasized that a peaceful resolution cannot be achieved through war or displacement, but rather through a two-state solution. He questioned whether Israel has had enough of endless war since 1948 and urged the country to pursue peace.
