Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the challenges posed to long-term stability in Lebanon by the conflict in Syria and supporting the establishment of safe zones in Syria.

recognizes the importance of United States and its international assistance to the people of Lebanon in order to build the capacity for Lebanon to provide services and security for Lebanese citizens, particularly to curb the influence of Hezbollah;

encourages continued coordination between the Secretary of State, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and humanitarian organizations to ensure refugees from the conflict in Syria, including those in Lebanon, are supported in ways as to mitigate any potentially destabilizing effects on their host countries;

supports the establishment of secure, dignified, and sustainable safe zones in Syria and in the surrounding region in which Syrian nationals displaced from their homeland can await firm settlement, such as repatriation or potential third-country resettlement;

recognizes the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) as the sole institution entrusted with the defense of the sovereignty of Lebanon and supports strengthening United States partnerships with the LAF, particularly through the global coalition to defeat the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS);

supports the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006); and

recognizes that it is in the interests of the United States to support negotiations to end the conflict in Syria, which would allow for the eventual return of the millions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and other countries around the world back to Syria.