UNIFIL decries Israel's destruction of Lebanese observation tower

By Naim Berjawi

BEIRUT (AA) - The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Saturday condemned the Israeli army’s destruction of a Lebanese army observation tower and the removal of a blue barrel marking the line of withdrawal between Lebanon and Israel.

According to a statement, UNIFIL said that its UN peacekeepers observed an Israeli army bulldozer “destroying a blue barrel marking the line of withdrawal between Lebanon and Israel in Labbouneh.”

It added that the bulldozer also destroyed “an observation tower belonging to the Lebanese Armed Forces immediately beside a UNIFIL position there.”

UNIFIL strongly condemned the incident, stating that the Israeli army’s “deliberate and direct destruction of both clearly identifiable UNIFIL property and infrastructure belonging to the Lebanese Armed Forces is a flagrant violation of resolution 1701 and international law.”

“We call on all actors to avoid any actions, including the destruction of civilian property and infrastructure, that could jeopardize the cessation of hostilities,” the UN force concluded.

The UN Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted on Aug. 11, 2006, calls for a complete halt to hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel and the establishment of a weapons-free zone between the Blue Line and the Litani River in southern Lebanon, with exceptions for the Lebanese army and UNIFIL.

By Saturday evening, Israel had committed 383 violations of the cease-fire agreement, resulting in 32 deaths and 39 injuries, according to an Anadolu tally based on official Lebanese data.

Under the cease-fire terms, Israel is required to withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line – a de facto border – in phases, while the Lebanese army is to deploy in southern Lebanon within 60 days.

Data from the Lebanese Health Ministry indicates that since Israel’s onslaught against Lebanon began on Oct. 8, 2023, at least 4,063 victims have been killed, including women, children, and health workers, while 16,664 others have been injured.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala