BRUSSELS

Belgium condemned on Tuesday the Israeli firing on clearly identified troops of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), stressing that the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 must be respected.

In a post through US social media company X, the Belgian Foreign Ministry expressed concern over a wall constructed "illegally" by Israel along Lebanon's southern border.

"This is a breach of international law and the territorial integrity," the ministry added.

On Sunday, the Lebanese army issued a statement condemning an Israeli tank fire that targeted a patrol of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon. It also accused Israel of violating Lebanese sovereignty and obstructing the full deployment of the army in the south.

UNIFIL on Sunday said the attack, which occurred near a position erected by Israel inside Lebanese territory, represents a "serious violation" of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006.

The resolution calls for a cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, as well as for the establishment of a weapons-free zone between the Litani River and the "Blue Line" boundary mapped by the UN that separates Lebanon from Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

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 in January, but instead only partially pulled out and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.