ISTANBUL 

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Friday that the Israeli army dropped grenades near its forces in the southern town of Maroun al-Ras, calling it a “serious violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

In a statement, UNIFIL said that on Thursday, the Israeli army dropped grenades near peacekeepers who were working alongside the Lebanese army to secure protection for civilian workers clearing the rubble of homes destroyed during the war in Maroun al-Ras.

The statement added that one grenade exploded near an excavator about 500 meters away, followed by another explosion 30 to 40 meters away after a drone overflight.

About 20 minutes later, another drone was observed dropping a grenade that exploded only 20 meters above the heads of UNIFIL personnel.

“Fortunately, no one was injured, and the work eventually continued,” it said.

The statement stressed that “attacks on peacekeepers or interference with their mandated tasks show disregard for the safety and security of UNIFIL peacekeepers and the Lebanese army and the stability they are working to restore in south Lebanon.”

UNIFIL said these actions constitute a “serious violation” of Security Council Resolution 1701.

It also called on the Israeli army to “cease attacks on or near peacekeepers, civilians, and Lebanese soldiers and allow us to carry out our mandated tasks without obstruction.”

Resolution 1701, passed in 2006, calls for a complete halt to hostilities between the Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israel, as well as the establishment of a weapons-free zone between the Blue Line, a de facto border, and the Litani River in southern Lebanon, with the exception of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL.

A ceasefire was reached in November 2024 following a year-long cycle of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel that began in October 2023. The conflict escalated into a full-scale Israeli offensive by September 2024, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths and around 17,000 injuries.​​​​​​​

Under the terms of the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 2025. However, it has so far only partially pulled out troops and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.