00:00SECRETARY BLINKEN One of the main challenges that we've seen
00:05in Lebanon is the fact that Hezbollah effectively has taken over many state functions, and in
00:13particular in holding onto its arms, which is not supposed to be the case.
00:19Remember, Israel was in southern Lebanon for a long time, 18 years, and it got out in 2000.
00:26And part of getting Israel out of Lebanon were important understandings that are in
00:35UN Security Council resolutions, 1701, 1559, that, among other things, would make sure
00:42that forces are not up at the border between the country, certainly not irregular forces
00:49like Hezbollah, and non-state actors are supposed to be disarmed.
00:53Well, that didn't happen.
00:55And Hezbollah has posed an ongoing threat to Israel ever since.
00:59When the horror of October 7th happened, the next day Hezbollah joined in, trying to create
01:07another front.
01:08In the process, the rockets and other munitions that they were launching into northern Israel
01:13forced people to flee from their homes, and some 70,000 Israelis have had to leave their
01:18homes.
01:19Similarly, in southern Lebanon, because Israel responded to these attacks from Hezbollah,
01:25you have many people who had to leave their homes.
01:27This is well before the last few weeks.
01:29This is what happened over the last year.
01:33And we all have a strong interest in trying to help create an environment in which people
01:38can go back to their homes and live there safely and securely, and kids can go back
01:41to school.
01:42So Israel has a clear and very legitimate interest in doing that.
01:46The people of Lebanon want the same thing.
01:48We believe that the best way to get there is through a diplomatic understanding, one
01:52that we've been working on for some time, and one that we're extremely focused on right
01:57now.
01:58We've been engaged in conversations, I've been engaged in conversations with countries
02:01throughout the region, and with the Lebanese themselves, and what I'm getting from these
02:08conversations is a strong desire, not only on the part of many countries that are concerned
02:15about Lebanon, but especially the Lebanese themselves, to actually see the state stand
02:21up, assert itself, take responsibility for the lives of its citizens.
02:27And again, one way to do that would be by resolving the issue of a vacant presidency,
02:32but there are a number of other things that I know the Lebanese are focused on that can
02:36make a real difference.
02:37But it's up to them.
02:40It's their country.
02:41It's their future.
02:42The United States, many other countries want to help.
02:44Similarly, we've long been a supporter of the one institution that unites pretty much
02:50every Lebanese, and that's the Lebanese Armed Forces, and many other countries as well.
02:57So I think there are a number of things that others can do to support the Lebanese state
03:05standing up and taking responsibility for the people and for the future of the country,
03:09but the fundamental decisions about how that gets done, those decisions belong to the Lebanese
03:13people.
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