'Iran's blood-stained hands': UN Amb. Danon says Israel has no desire to occupy Lebanon

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, emphasized that Israel does not intend to occupy southern Lebanon but that Iran must “keep its blood-stained hands” off of the country during a Thursday address to the UN Security Council.

“The Lebanese people have suffered too long under the tyranny of this terrorist organization,” Danon said. “We all know the ending of this conflict. Hezbollah will be pushed back north of the Litani River.”

The Israeli ambassador then questioned how, once this was accomplished, it would be sustained and who would be responsible for ensuring its continuation.

Hezbollah has established a terror state within a failed state, and Israel is not the only one that wants the Security Council to take action against this. The Lebanese people, who are held hostage by a terrorist organization, need this too! Watch >> pic.twitter.com/exgkZlvXnm

— Danny Danon דני דנון (@dannydanon) October 11, 2024

“The answer lies in the hands of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL,” Danon said. “They must step up. Not only must they fulfill their current duties under resolution 1701, but we must reform those obligations.

'Lebanese people held hostage by Hezbollah'

He added that it was the “Lebanese people held hostage” by Hezbollah that needed this to be implemented in addition to Israel.

“Israel has no desire to be in southern Lebanon,” Danon continued. “Our goal is to protect our people, not to occupy Lebanese territory.”

The land of Lebanon belongs to the Lebanese people, not to Iran!That’s exactly what I told the citizens of Lebanon today at the Security Council, in Arabic. Lebanon needs to stand together with Israel and the free world against the Iranian terrorist regime. This is the only way… pic.twitter.com/QdZYpi6CGb

— Danny Danon דני דנון (@dannydanon) October 10, 2024

However, in order to create a situation where Israel does not need to do this, Danon called on the UNSC to “ensure the right mechanisms are in place for the Lebanese army and UNIFIL to meet their obligations.”

'Iran must keep its blood-stained hands off Lebanon'

Then, addressing the acting Lebanese ambassador to the UN, Hadi Hachem, Danon said, “ I have listened to your words and condemnations very carefully, but the truth is you should be sitting next to me, not next to the Iranian representative because, whether you can admit it or not, Israel, Lebanon, and the free world are on the same side against the Islamic regime of Iran. All of us should declare, shoulder to shoulder, that Iran must keep its blood-stained hands off Lebanon.”

Then, speaking in Arabic in an appeal directly to the Lebanese people, the ambassador added, “Lebanon belongs to the Lebanese, not to the Iranians.”