A vehicle belonging to United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) photographed in Saida on Nov. 14, 2024. (Credit: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)
BEIRUT — The commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon on Tuesday called on the Israeli military to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory and to stop targeting prefabricated structures in border villages.
“Any situation that could lead to an escalation of confrontation must be avoided, and we will do our utmost in this regard, in accordance with Resolution 1701, to contribute to stability,” said Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro following a meeting at the municipal building in Jdeidet Marjayoun, as his term as UNIFIL commander nears its end.
“We urge the Israeli army to completely withdraw from Lebanese territory and not to target prefabricated structures in border villages,” he said.
Despite the cease-fire agreement, the Israeli army continues to carry out near-daily airstrikes in southern Lebanon and maintains a presence at five positions it considers “strategic.” More than 151 people have been killed since the truce began.
Lázaro said the situation in southern Lebanon is “more stable today than a few months ago,” but remains fragile. “The solution in this region can only be achieved through political decisions — not by us as UNIFIL, nor through military actions,” he said.
Support for elections, despite challenges
Lázaro also praised the Lebanese government, political parties and local officials for their determination to hold municipal elections despite the country’s many crises. He called the effort a “courageous and necessary challenge for the democratic future of Lebanon.”
The municipal and mokhtar elections in southern Lebanon are scheduled for May 24. It will be the fourth and final round of elections, held over three Sundays and one Saturday in May. The elections were previously postponed in 2022, 2023 and 2024. The first round was held May 4 in Mount Lebanon, and subsequent rounds will continue May 11 in the North and Akkar, and May 18 in the Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel and Beirut.
“We recognize that needs are significant, and UNIFIL will always remain alongside the Lebanese people — within our capabilities and in the framework of our mandate and Resolution 1701,” Lázaro said.
In recent days, UNIFIL has faced growing hostility from some southern residents who accuse the force of patrolling in villages without coordination with the Lebanese Army.
