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UN force sounds alarm over Israeli 'destruction' in south Lebanon

Lebanese soldiers stand next to a damaged building in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on December 23, 2024, after the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area under a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah. Israel stepped up its campaign in south Lebanon in late September after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges begun by Hezbollah in support of Hamas following its Palestinian ally's October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel. A ceasefire came into effect on November 27. (Photo by AFP)

By AFP

The United Nations' peacekeeping force in Lebanon expressed concern on Thursday at the "continuing" damage done by Israeli forces in the country's south despite a ceasefire in the war with Hezbollah.

The truce went into effect on November 27, about two months after Israel stepped up its bombing campaign and later sent troops into Lebanon following nearly a year of exchanges of cross-border fire initiated by Hezbollah over the war in Gaza.

The warring sides have since traded accusations of violating the truce.

Lebanon's army on Thursday condemned Israel's "violation of the ceasefire agreement by attacking Lebanese sovereignty and destroying southern towns and villages".

Under the ceasefire agreement, UNIFIL peacekeepers and the Lebanese army were to redeploy in south Lebanon, near the Israeli border, as Israeli forces withdrew over 60 days.

UNIFIL said in a statement on Thursday that "there is concern at continuing destruction by the IDF (army) in residential areas, agricultural land and road networks in south Lebanon".

The statement added that "this is in violation of Resolution 1701", which was adopted by the UN Security Council and ended the last Israel-Hezbollah war of 2006.

The UN force also reiterated its call for "the timely withdrawal" of Israeli troops from Lebanon, and "the full implementation of Resolution 1701".

The resolution states that Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers should be the only forces in south Lebanon, where Hezbollah exerts control, and also calls for Israeli troops to pull out of Lebanese territory.

"Any actions that risk the fragile cessation of hostilities must cease," UNIFIL said.

On Monday the force had urged "accelerated progress" in the Israeli military's withdrawal.

The Lebanese army said in a Thursday statement that it was reinforcing its presence in several areas of the south where "Israeli forces have penetrated".

One of those areas is Qantara, where Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) reported on Thursday "extensive" Israeli operations, sending residents fleeing.

Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayad decried the operations in a statement as an "extremely dangerous" development that poses "a serious risk" to the implementation of Resolution 1701.

On Wednesday the NNA said Israeli aircraft struck the eastern Baalbek region, far from the border.