UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, southern Lebanon, Jan. 17, 2025. (Credit: @antonioguterres/X)
BEIRUT — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres revealed on Friday in southern Lebanon that U.N. peacekeepers have found more than 100 weapon caches that he said belonged "to Hezbollah or other armed groups" since Nov. 27, the day the cease-fire was reached between Israel and Hezbollah that ended a deadly war lasting over a year.
Guterres arrived in Lebanon on Thursday evening for an official visit to show support for the Lebanese people and the peacekeeping forces deployed in the country. The visit comes at a critical time, with significant but still fragile progress on the diplomatic and security fronts, less than 10 days before the deadline for full implementation of the cease-fire agreement.
Speaking from U.N. Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headquarters in Naqoura, southern Lebanon, the U.N. chief also said, "The continued occupation by the Israel [military] inside the UNIFIL area operations and the conduct of military operations in Lebanese territory are violations of Resolution 1701 ... They must stop."
'Relative calm to be maintained'
Guterres declared that any "presence of armed personnel, assets and weapons" other than those of the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL between the Blue Line and the Litani River constitutes "a flagrant violation of the resolution and jeopardizes Lebanon's stability." This reminder was directed both at the Israeli army, which continues to occupy part of southern Lebanon and must withdraw by Jan. 26, and at Hezbollah, which the U.N. is urging to disarm.
He also highlighted that the Lebanese Army, "the sole guarantor of Lebanon's security," is deploying an increasing number of troops in southern Lebanon, where the Israeli army is scheduled to withdraw over 60 days, by Jan. 26. This deployment is being carried out "in coordination" with UNIFIL and members of the cease-fire supervision committee established under the auspices of Paris and the U.S. According to a French diplomatic source, 4,500 Lebanese troops have redeployed to southern Lebanon since the end of the war.
In a letter to peacekeepers, the U.N. Secretary-General urged the international community to increase support for the Lebanese Army. Following "one of the most difficult periods imaginable," Guterres welcomed the fact that Lebanon is now experiencing, thanks to the "efforts" of UNIFIL soldiers, "a phase of relative calm that is essential to preserve." He also reminded all parties that they "have an obligation to guarantee the safety" of peacekeepers and that "the inviolability of United Nations premises must be respected at all times."
"Attacks on U.N. peacekeepers are totally unacceptable. They are a violation of international law, of international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime," Guterres reiterated.
Prior to the truce, several UNIFIL positions were attacked or targeted, primarily by the Israeli army but also by Hezbollah.
