UN Rebukes Israeli Strikes on Southern Lebanon as "Clear Violations"
"On Thursday afternoon, peacekeepers from the peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, observed a series of Israeli airstrikes in its area of operations in south Lebanon," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference, adding that the Israeli attack "comes as the Lebanese Armed Forces continue operations to control unauthorized weapons and infrastructure in south Lebanon."
"These actions are clear violations of Security Council resolution 1701," he said, urging the Israeli military to "use the liaison and coordination mechanisms available to them to settle these issues."
The warning follows a dangerous Thursday incident where UN peacekeepers in Lebanon faced direct assault. Personnel were "approached by six men on three mopeds near the Bint Jbeil area, with one man firing approximately three shots into the back of a UN vehicle," Dujarric said, emphasizing that "attacks on peacekeepers are unacceptable and serious violations of resolution 1701."
Security Council Resolution 1701 mandates hostilities cessation between Hezbollah and Israel while establishing a demilitarized buffer zone stretching from the Litani River to the Blue Line—the UN-mapped boundary dividing Lebanon from Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
"We remind the Lebanese authorities of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers, and we demand a full and immediate investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice," he added.
Tel Aviv and Beirut reached a ceasefire agreement last year following over twelve months of cross-border violence concurrent with the Gaza Strip genocide. The conflict killed more than 4,000 people and wounded 17,000.
Yet the truce has proven hollow. At least 335 people have been killed and 973 others wounded in 1,038 Israeli attacks since the ceasefire agreement took effect in November 2024, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry—a death toll demonstrating systematic violations.
The Israeli army was contractually obligated to withdraw from southern Lebanon in January 2025 under ceasefire terms but instead executed only a partial pullout, maintaining military occupation at five border outposts in direct contravention of the agreement.
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