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UNSC delegation meets Lebanon’s Aoun, tours south amid Israeli escalation
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has met with a visiting United Nations Security Council (UNSC) delegation to discuss escalating tensions with Israel and efforts to disarm Hezbollah, a day after a wave of Israeli raids rocked the south of the country, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).
Speaking with the UNSC team on Friday, Aoun urged them to pressure Israel to respect a November 2024 ceasefire it has violated on a near-daily basis and to withdraw from areas it continues to occupy in southern Lebanon.
“We look forward to pressure from your side,” said Aoun, in comments carried by the NNA.
UNIFIL accuses Israel of violating UN resolution with air attacks on southern Lebanon
The UN mission stationed in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, has accused Israel of violating a UN resolution by carrying out a series of air attacks in the country’s south yesterday.
The attacks took place in the villages of Marounah, Majadel, and Baraashit, it said.
“These actions are clear violations of Security Council resolution 1701. We urge the Israel Defense Forces [Israeli army] to avail of the liaison and coordination mechanisms available to them,” it said, cautioning “Lebanese actors” against any reactions that could aggravate the situation further.
Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006, calls for a cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel and the establishment of a weapons-free zone between the Blue Line and Lebanon’s Litani River.
Under last year’s ceasefire, the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon in January. But it only partially withdrew, continuing to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.
UNIFIL also said that peacekeepers on patrol last night were approached by six men on three mopeds near Bint Jbeil, with one man firing about three shots into the back of the vehicle. No one was hurt.
“We remind the Lebanese authorities of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers, and demand a full and immediate investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the statement added.
