UNIFIL says Israeli drones drop grenades close to peacekeepers in Lebanon

‘This is 1 of the astir superior attacks connected UNIFIL unit and assets’ since November ceasefire, UNIFIL says.

The United Nations Interim Force successful Lebanon (UNIFIL) has said Israeli drones dropped 4 grenades adjacent to peacekeepers moving to wide roadblocks, which were hindering entree to a UN position, connected Tuesday greeting adjacent the confederate Lebanese borderline with Israel.

“This is 1 of the astir superior attacks connected UNIFIL unit and assets since the cessation of hostilities statement of past November,” the UNIFIL said successful a connection connected Wednesday.

“One grenade impacted wrong 20 metres and 3 wrong astir 100 metres of UN unit and vehicles.”

Israel has been violating the November 2024 ceasefire it reached with Hezbollah, carrying retired near-daily attacks connected Lebanon, claiming to people Hezbollah sites and members, but besides sidesplitting ample numbers of civilians, displacing communities and destroying infrastructure and residential buildings.

UNIFIL says the Israeli service was informed successful beforehand of its roadworthy clearance enactment successful the area, southeast of the colony of Marwahin.

“Any actions endangering UN peacekeepers and assets, and interference with their mandated tasks are unacceptable and a superior usurpation of Resolution 1701 and planetary law,” UNIFIL said, referring to the solution adopted astatine the extremity of the 2006 warfare to halt hostilities betwixt Israel and Hezbollah.

Established successful 1978, UNIFIL patrols Lebanon’s confederate borderline with Israel.

Last week, the United Nations Security Council unanimously extended the peacekeeping ngo successful Lebanon until the extremity of 2026, aft which a yearlong orderly and harmless drawdown and withdrawal volition commence.

The winding down of UNIFIL has been pushed heavy by Israel and the United States, who impeach the radical of providing governmental screen for Hezbollah since the 2006 warfare and failing to enactment to disarm Hezbollah, contempt that not being the UN body’s stated mission.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to inhabit astatine slightest 5 points connected Lebanese territory, pursuing its penetration of southbound Lebanon past October. The ceasefire statement reached successful November stipulated that Israeli troops should retreat from southbound Lebanon, but that has not yet happened.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has rejected increasing unit to disarm the group, informing that Lebanon’s sovereignty could lone beryllium achieved by ending Israeli “aggression”.

Qassem said past period the Lebanese authorities indispensable archetypal guarantee Israel complies with a November 2024 ceasefire statement earlier talks connected a nationalist defence strategy tin instrumentality place.

“The absorption volition stay arsenic a beardown obstruction preventing Israel from achieving its goals, and Israel volition not beryllium capable to stay successful Lebanon oregon execute its expansionist task done Lebanon,” the Hezbollah main said.

He dismissed Lebanese authorities and overseas proposals to integrate Hezbollah’s arsenal into a nationalist defence strategy, insisting that Israel indispensable archetypal retreat from Lebanese territory, merchandise prisoners, and halt attacks.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies