Peacekeepers have found more than 100 weapons caches in Southern Lebanon since the Israel-Hezbollah truce went into effect on Nov. 27, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday.
“The presence of armed personnel, assets and weapons that do not belong to the Lebanese government or UNIFIL between the Blue Line [border with Israel] and the Litani River constitutes a flagrant violation of [Security Council] Resolution 1701 and undermines the stability of Lebanon,” the Beirut-based National News Agency as saying.
The U.N. chief, who arrived in Beirut on Thursday, accused Israel of ceasefire violations, saying that the Israel Defense Forces attacks in Southern Lebanon were “unacceptable.”
“Attacks against U.N. peacekeepers are completely unacceptable. They violate international law and international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime,” he was quoted as saying.
Israel has been attacking terrorist targets in the area, some of which operate near U.N. posts.
In a meeting with Guterres on Saturday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the IDF must immediately withdraw from Southern Lebanon. He also expressed concerns over recurring Israeli attacks in the country.
Aoun said via the Lebanese Presidency account on X, “The continued Israeli violations on land and in the air, especially in terms of blowing up houses and destroying border villages, completely contradicts what was stated in the ceasefire agreement and is considered a continuation of the violation of Lebanese sovereignty and the will of the international community.”
The Lebanese Presidency account quoted the U.N. secretary-general as saying, “We will do everything in our power to secure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the south within the specified deadline [in the ceasefire agreement, i.e. Jan. 26] and work to secure the international community’s support for what Lebanon requires in the process of revival and removing the repercussions of the events of recent years.”
The Israeli military has carried out attacks in Southern Lebanon as part of its commitment to enforce the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
IDF troops conducted targeted raids and reconnaissance operations against terrorist infrastructure in urban areas and thicketed terrain used by Hezbollah in the western sector of Southern Lebanon, the IDF said on Thursday.
Defense Minister Israel Katz warned earlier in the month that the truce will be void if the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization refuses to withdraw from Southern Lebanon in accordance with the terms of the accord.
“Israel is interested in the implementation of the agreement in Lebanon and will continue to enforce it fully and without compromise to ensure the safe return of the residents of the north [of Israel] to their homes,” Katz said.
