ISTANBUL

Israeli soldiers have destroyed all security cameras facing the Naqoura headquarters of the UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, the spokesperson for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Kandice Ardiel, said on Saturday.

Ardiel said Israeli soldiers have destroyed all the cameras since Friday that ensure the safety and security of the military and civilian peacekeepers living inside UNIFIL’s Naqoura headquarters.

UNIFIL expressed its serious concern about the Israeli army's action and decided to formally protest it.

She reminded the Israeli army of its obligation to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and to respect the inviolability of UN premises.

In a separate statement, Ardiel confirmed that three UN peacekeepers were injured, two of them seriously, in an explosion on Friday at a UN position in southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL has operated in southern Lebanon since 1978 and was expanded under Security Council Resolution 1701 following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel has carried out airstrikes and a ground offensive in southern Lebanon since a cross-border attack by Hezbollah on March 2, despite a ceasefire that took effect in November 2024.

Lebanese authorities say at least 1,422 people have been killed and 4,294 injured in Israeli attacks since then.