UN Force Flags Israeli Road Work, Barriers in South Lebanon
(MENAFN) UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have detected what appear to be preparations for a long-term Israeli military footprint, even as airstrikes and shelling continue and their own movements remain restricted, a UN spokesman said Monday.
Deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in New York that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) logged six Israeli airstrikes, three on Thursday and three on Sunday, along with 360 artillery trajectories over a four-day span. The shelling hit several communities across the south, according to the briefing.
From Thursday through Sunday, UNIFIL reported Israeli activity throughout its area of operations, including drone flights, engineering work and road construction. Peacekeepers saw signs of preparations for a sustained presence in both the eastern and western sectors. The mission did not say what the construction was for or how long Israeli forces might stay.
Peacekeepers’ mobility remained hampered, Haq said. Gates and physical barriers kept blocking their movements, especially in the eastern sector, and on Friday Israeli soldiers and tanks limited travel in both directions near Al-Bayyada.
Aid deliveries went ahead through coordination between UNIFIL and the UN humanitarian office. Five movements were coordinated Thursday and one on Friday.
Questioned separately about Israeli claims of weapons depots near a UNIFIL position, Haq said any unauthorized weapons south of the Litani River breach Security Council Resolution 1701. Peacekeepers have uncovered hundreds of unauthorized weapons caches, he said, but their mandate does not allow them to search private property or forcibly disarm armed groups.
The developments come as UNIFIL prepares to end operations on Dec. 31 under a Security Council decision, a deadline that has raised concerns about security arrangements once the force withdraws.
Deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in New York that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) logged six Israeli airstrikes, three on Thursday and three on Sunday, along with 360 artillery trajectories over a four-day span. The shelling hit several communities across the south, according to the briefing.
From Thursday through Sunday, UNIFIL reported Israeli activity throughout its area of operations, including drone flights, engineering work and road construction. Peacekeepers saw signs of preparations for a sustained presence in both the eastern and western sectors. The mission did not say what the construction was for or how long Israeli forces might stay.
Peacekeepers’ mobility remained hampered, Haq said. Gates and physical barriers kept blocking their movements, especially in the eastern sector, and on Friday Israeli soldiers and tanks limited travel in both directions near Al-Bayyada.
Aid deliveries went ahead through coordination between UNIFIL and the UN humanitarian office. Five movements were coordinated Thursday and one on Friday.
Questioned separately about Israeli claims of weapons depots near a UNIFIL position, Haq said any unauthorized weapons south of the Litani River breach Security Council Resolution 1701. Peacekeepers have uncovered hundreds of unauthorized weapons caches, he said, but their mandate does not allow them to search private property or forcibly disarm armed groups.
The developments come as UNIFIL prepares to end operations on Dec. 31 under a Security Council decision, a deadline that has raised concerns about security arrangements once the force withdraws.
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