Manila: The United Nations (UN) has issued a warning to Israel regarding its recent airstrikes targeting southern Lebanon, describing the repeated assaults as "clear violations" of Security Council Resolution 1701.
According to Philippines News Agency, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric reported at a news conference that on Thursday afternoon, peacekeepers from the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, witnessed a series of Israeli airstrikes in the region. These attacks coincide with ongoing operations by the Lebanese Armed Forces to manage unauthorized weapons and infrastructure in south Lebanon.
Dujarric emphasized that these actions represent clear breaches of Resolution 1701 and urged the Israeli military to utilize the existing liaison and coordination mechanisms to address such issues. He also highlighted a concerning incident where UN peacekeepers were approached by six men on mopeds near the Bint Jbeil area, resulting in shots being fired at a UN vehicle, labeling such attacks as unacceptable and serious violations of the resolution.
Resolution 1701 mandates a cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel and calls for a weapons-free zone between the Litani River and the Blue Line boundary, which demarcates Lebanon from Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The UN has reminded Lebanese authorities of their responsibility to ensure the safety of peacekeepers and demanded a thorough investigation to bring those accountable to justice.
A ceasefire was agreed upon between Tel Aviv and Beirut last year following more than a year of hostilities linked to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in over 4,000 deaths and 17,000 injuries. Despite the ceasefire, since November 2024, Israeli attacks have led to at least 335 deaths and 973 injuries, as reported by Lebanon's Health Ministry.
The Israeli army was expected to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 2025 as per the ceasefire agreement. However, it has only partially withdrawn and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.
