Politics Unifil: Israel and Hezbollah must observe ceasefire

SDA

26.12.2024 - 11:31

ARCHIVE - UN peacekeepers from the Indian contingent are securing the Lebanese border with Israel. The UN Security Council will discuss the annual extension of the mandate for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) next week. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
ARCHIVE - UN peacekeepers from the Indian contingent are securing the Lebanese border with Israel. The UN Security Council will discuss the annual extension of the mandate for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) next week. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
Keystone

The UN observer mission in Lebanon has called on Israel and Hezbollah to respect the ceasefire. All actions that endanger the fragile ceasefire must cease immediately, the United Nations peacekeeping mission declared on its Telegram channel.

Keystone-SDA

The observers expressed concern about the ongoing destruction of residential areas, agricultural land and road networks in southern Lebanon by the Israeli military.

UN Resolution 1701 must be fully implemented, they added. Unifil is supporting the Lebanese military in its implementation. The Israeli armed forces must withdraw from southern Lebanon as soon as possible, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement. No armed groups other than the Lebanese army should operate south of the Litani River in Lebanon, Unifil emphasized once again.

After more than a year of mutual attacks, the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia and Israel agreed a ceasefire at the end of November, which is largely being observed. Nevertheless, there have been repeated violations, which have also resulted in fatalities.

Among other things, the agreement stipulates that Hezbollah will withdraw behind the Litani River, around 30 kilometers north of the Israeli-Lebanese border. Israel's ground troops are to be gradually withdrawn from Lebanon within 60 days. The Lebanese army is to monitor compliance with the agreement.