UNIFIL: Israeli presence blocking full Lebanese Army deployment in south

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Monday that Israel’s continued presence inside Lebanese territory is preventing the full deployment of the Lebanese Army in the country’s south.

In a statement, the peacekeeping mission stressed its support for the Lebanese Army’s redeployment under UN Security Council Resolution 1701. “We support the Lebanese Army in carrying out its duties under Resolution 1701 and its redeployment in the south, but with the continued presence of Israeli forces inside Lebanon, full deployment of the army cannot be achieved,” UNIFIL said.

The mission confirmed that its forces continue to conduct patrols and report violations of the resolution.

The remarks come nearly a year after Israel’s October 2023 assault on Lebanon escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, leaving more than 4,000 people dead and around 17,000 wounded.

Although a ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel was reached in November 2024, Israel has committed more than 4,500 violations since then, according to official figures, resulting in the deaths of at least 279 people and injuries to 624 others.

While the Lebanese Army has continued its redeployment in the south in line with the agreement, Israel has yet to complete its withdrawal. Instead, it has carried out only a partial pullback and maintains control over five strategic hills captured during the war, as well as other areas it has occupied for decades.

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