Israel has violated Lebanon’s airspace more than 7,300 times since the truce came into effect in November 2014, according to a new UN report.
Danny Goffrey, a spokesman for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), announced on Wednesday in an interview with RIA Novosti that Israeli forces have carried out more than 7,300 air raids in Lebanon since the implementation of the ceasefire, along with thousands of other illegal military activities north of the Blue Line on the southern border.
The Blue Line is the demarcation that the United Nations (UN) drew in 2000 to separate Lebanon from the territories occupied by Israel and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, following the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Goffrey denounced these illegal Israeli incursions as flagrant violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 , which has governed the rules of engagement in the region since the end of the 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah. The resolution specifically demands a complete cessation of hostilities and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the Blue Line and the Litani River.
The spokesman also confirmed that Israel is building concrete barriers across the Blue Line, the internationally recognized border between Lebanon and the territories occupied by Israel, which constitutes a serious violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
A geographical survey conducted in October found a wall southwest of Yarun that extends into Lebanese territory. Goffrey confirmed that a second barrier, observed southeast of Yarun in November, also crosses the border and stated that UNIFIL has asked Israel to remove it.
The spokesman also stated that the mission will formally notify Israel about these violations, which directly contravene Resolution 1701.
He concluded by emphasizing the responsibility of Israeli forces to refrain from any hostile action that could threaten UN peacekeeping forces operating in the area.
In October 2023, border clashes broke out between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, which turned into open warfare in September 2024, killing thousands of people and causing significant destruction in several Lebanese regions.
The Israeli regime has not honored the ceasefire agreement reached with Hezbollah in November 2024 and continues to maintain troops in southern areas where it has established positions. A recent UN report announced that Israeli attacks have resulted in at least 100 deaths since the ceasefire began .
Israel maintains that its attacks are directed against Hezbollah positions, an accusation rejected by both the movement and the Lebanese government, which warn that these attacks seek to destabilize the south of the country and hinder the return of displaced people to their homes.