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UN flags demolitions
The United Nations said it was deeply concerned about Israel’s demolitions in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire, citing “the scale of the detonations and demolitions taking place in south Lebanon” and their “devastating impact on civilian infrastructure, cultural heritage, and the collective memory of communities.”
““The scale of the detonations and demolitions taking place in south Lebanon is deeply concerning"”
The statement came after Israel carried out large overnight detonations near a UNESCO-listed castle in southern Lebanon, with Beaufort Castle added last week to UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the detonation as “an extremely dangerous escalation” and “a direct threat to the process which was launched as part of the framework agreement” reached with Israel during U.S.-sponsored talks last month.
In response to the blasts, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the army destroyed “terror tunnels in the Beaufort area” using approximately 700 tonnes of explosives.
The UN said “this escalating pattern of destruction must stop as diplomatic channels exist to resolve any outstanding issues,” while the Lebanese state-run National News Agency reported several detonations in other parts of the south.
Netanyahu, Aoun clash
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the timing of the blasts ahead of another round of talks with Israel in Rome next week “sends negative messages and undermines international efforts aimed at consolidating stability,” framing the detonations as a threat to the framework agreement.
Aoun also described the detonation as “an extremely dangerous escalation” and “a direct threat to the process which was launched as part of the framework agreement,” while the UN’s special coordinator for Lebanon called for protection of civilians and preservation of stability.
The UN mission in Lebanon said Israeli detonations and demolitions were having a “devastating impact on civilian infrastructure, cultural heritage, and the collective memory of communities,” and said the pattern must stop despite ceasefire arrangements.
On the Israeli side, the Israeli military said Saturday that it killed several Hezbollah fighters inside what it labelled a “security zone” in the country, and said an Israeli soldier was moderately injured and evacuated to a hospital for treatment.
Speaking from the south to mark Lebanese army day, chief Rodolphe Haykal said that “we reject the continued Israeli occupation of any part of our territory,” as the UN continued to press for diplomatic channels.
What’s at stake next
The UN warned that the “escalating pattern of destruction must stop,” tying the concern to the existence of “diplomatic channels” to resolve outstanding issues in southern Lebanon.
““This escalating pattern of destruction must stop as diplomatic channels exist to resolve any outstanding issues””
The framework agreement described in the sources provides for the deployment of the Lebanese army in “pilot zones” evacuated by Israel, where Lebanese forces will subsequently deploy, subject to Hezbollah’s disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal from those areas.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported at least one Israeli strike on the south on Saturday, saying it wounded two people, while it also reported several detonations in other parts of the south since.
The sources also say the ceasefire agreement was reached on April 16, 2026, aimed at ending fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah resistance movement, but that Israel continued sporadic attacks in southern Lebanon.
With new talks with Israel due to be held next week in Rome, the Lebanese presidency said the timing of the blasts sent “negative messages,” while the UN maintained that the destruction of civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage must not continue.
