UN peacekeepers report signs of sustained Israeli presence in south Lebanon

UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have observed what appeared to be preparations for a sustained Israeli military presence amid continued airstrikes, artillery fire and restrictions on their movements, a UN spokesman said Monday. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported Israeli military activity across its area of operations from Thursday through Sunday, including drone operations, engineering work and road construction. Peacekeepers recorded three Israeli airstrikes Thursday and three more Sunday, as well as 360 artillery trajectories during the four-day period, deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in New York.

The artillery fire affected several communities across southern Lebanon, according to the briefing. UNIFIL also observed apparent preparations for a sustained presence in both its eastern and western sectors but did not specify the purpose of the construction work or how long Israeli troops might remain. Gates and physical barriers continued to obstruct peacekeeper movements, particularly in the eastern sector. Israeli soldiers and tanks also restricted travel in both directions near Al-Bayyada on Friday, Haq said.

Humanitarian deliveries continued under coordination arrangements involving UNIFIL and the UN humanitarian office, with five movements coordinated Thursday and one Friday. Asked separately about Israeli claims of weapons depots near a UNIFIL position, Haq said unauthorized weapons south of the Litani River violated Security Council Resolution 1701. He said peacekeepers had discovered hundreds of unauthorized weapons caches but were not mandated to search private property or forcibly disarm armed groups.

UNIFIL is scheduled to cease operations on Dec. 31 under a Security Council decision, raising concerns over security arrangements after its withdrawal.