Assalamu Alaikum - UN peacekeepers urge Israel to stop airstrikes in southern Lebanon
Assalamu Alaikum. NEW YORK - The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon on Thursday called on Israel to immediately stop airstrikes in southern Lebanon and asked all sides to show restraint to avoid a wider escalation.
UNIFIL reported observing multiple Israeli airstrikes in the southern towns of Tayr Dibbah, Taibe and Ayta Al-Jabal, which lie inside the mission’s area of operations. The strikes reportedly killed one person and injured eight others.
Israel said it was targeting Hezbollah sites and capabilities, which marked an intensification of near-daily attacks despite the existing ceasefire understanding. UNIFIL said these strikes are clear violations of UN Security Council resolution 1701, the 2006 resolution that helped end the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The interim force urged Israel to “immediately cease these attacks and all violations” of resolution 1701, while also calling on Lebanese actors to refrain from any responses that could further inflame the situation. It stressed that both countries must meet their obligations under the resolution and uphold the recent understanding reached in November to protect the fragile progress made.
In November 2024, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US- and French-brokered ceasefire that took effect on Nov. 27, 2024 - a 60-day truce meant to pave the way for a lasting end to hostilities based on full implementation of the UN resolution.
UNIFIL said the strikes occurred as the Lebanese Armed Forces were conducting operations to control unauthorized weapons and infrastructure south of the Litani River. The mission warned that any military action on such a destructive scale endangers civilians and undermines efforts toward a political and diplomatic solution.
UNIFIL added that its peacekeepers remain deployed alongside Lebanese soldiers, working to restore stability in south Lebanon and supporting both sides in carrying out the resolution. May Allah protect the innocent and grant peace to the region.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/