UN warns Israeli actions endanger peacekeepers in southern Lebanon

(MENAFN) A senior United Nations peacekeeping official warned on Friday that an increasing number of incidents involving Israeli forces are endangering UN personnel deployed in southern Lebanon, an area where extensive destruction has prevented many civilians from returning to their homes.

Speaking during a virtual briefing, the UN official said coordination between the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Lebanese authorities remains solid and effective.

"The relations with the Lebanese authorities are excellent. UNIFIL benefits from very strong support from the Lebanese authorities. We're extremely grateful for them," the official said, noting that the mission also benefits from "very good cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces."

Despite these positive ties, concerns were raised about actions carried out by Israeli forces.

"More worrying is the fact that the number of aggressive incidents, or hostile incidents, or at least the incidents that have been really putting our colleagues in danger, coming from the Israel Defense Forces," he said. "The frequency of these incidents has been quite high and has been increasing."

According to the briefing, the issue was recently raised directly with Israeli officials, with warnings that several incidents "could have had very tragic consequences on our peacekeepers."

During a visit to southern Lebanon, the UN official described the situation on the ground as dire, referring to "a landscape of devastation," and emphasizing that "the number of villages that are destroyed is extremely high, and civilians have not been able to return."

He concluded that the situation remains "extremely negative" for affected communities and poses serious challenges for future reconstruction efforts.

MENAFN17012026000045017640ID1110609994