Lebanese army says working with ‘friendly states’ to halt Israeli violations
ISTANBUL
The Lebanese army said Sunday it is coordinating with “friendly countries” to halt the ongoing Israeli violations of last year’s ceasefire deal.
It comes after Israeli forces fired at a patrol belonging to the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL), without causing injuries.
Israel “continues to violate Lebanese sovereignty, undermining stability and obstructing the full deployment of the army in the south,” the army said in a statement, describing the targeting of the UNIFIL patrol as “the latest of these condemned attacks.”
Lebanon “will work with friendly states to put an end to these ongoing violations,” the army said, stressing the need for immediate action because the situation represents a serious escalation.
Earlier Sunday, UNIFIL said an Israeli tank fired at its peacekeepers near a position Israel built inside Lebanese territory.
UNIFIL confirmed there were no injuries and said the shooting constitutes “a serious violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Resolution 1701, adopted on Aug. 11, 2006, calls for a cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel and the establishment of a weapons-free zone between the Blue Line and Lebanon’s Litani River.
Tensions have been mounting in southern Lebanon for weeks, with the Israeli army intensifying near-daily air raids inside Lebanese territory, allegedly targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure.
The Israeli army has killed more than 4,000 people and injured nearly 17,000 in its attacks on Lebanon, which began in October 2023 and turned into a full-scale offensive in September 2024.
Under a ceasefire declared in November 2024, the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon this January, but instead only partially pulled out and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.
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