(MENAFN) Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has directed the Foreign Ministry to lodge an emergency complaint with the UN Security Council after Israel constructed a concrete barrier in southern Lebanon that breaches the UN-established Blue Line boundary.

Aoun instructed Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi to direct Lebanon's permanent UN mission to file the formal grievance, asserting the Israeli structure infringes upon Lebanese sovereignty and contravenes UN Security Council Resolution 1701, according to a presidential statement.

Adopted on Aug. 11, 2006, Resolution 1701 mandates an end to hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel while establishing a demilitarized buffer zone stretching from the Blue Line to Lebanon's Litani River.

The president further demanded the complaint incorporate UN documentation that contradicts Israel's denials of wall construction and verifies the barrier has blocked southern residents from over 4,000 square meters of Lebanese territory.

Presidential sources indicated the documentation demonstrates that the UN peacekeeping force (UNIFIL) has officially informed Israel the structure must be dismantled.

Lebanese authorities contend Israel's construction activities and sustained presence beyond the Blue Line—the de-facto border—represent territorial encroachment and violate the internationally recognized boundary line drawn following Israel's 2000 withdrawal.

The presidency characterized Israel's persistent construction operations in the region, coupled with its military deployment, as a "clear violation" of Resolution 1701 and an assault on Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial boundaries.

On Friday, UNIFIL reported that Israel erected two barriers southwest of Yaroun town, rendering more than 4,000 square meters of Lebanese territory inaccessible to the Lebanese people.

Southern Lebanon has experienced escalating tensions for weeks as the Israeli military accelerates nearly daily airstrikes within Lebanese borders, purportedly targeting Hezbollah operatives and facilities.

Israeli military operations have resulted in over 4,000 deaths and nearly 17,000 injuries across Lebanon, with hostilities commencing in October 2023 before escalating into comprehensive operations in September 2024.

Despite a November 2024 ceasefire agreement requiring Israeli forces to vacate southern Lebanon by January, the military executed only a partial withdrawal and continues occupying five border positions.

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