Lebanese Army reinforces its deployment on outskirts of Rmeish after Israeli incursion

The Lebanese Army has reinforced its presence near the southern border town of Rmeish (Bint Jbeil) after Israeli military vehicles breached the technical fence and attempted excavation work, prompting the intervention of U.N. peacekeepers, the army said in a statement Sunday, as cited by the state-run National News Agency.

The army described the incident as “a blatant violation of U.N. Resolution 1701 and the cease-fire agreement.”

Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006, called for the cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River, and the disarmament of all non-state militias.

“As a result, the Lebanese Army reinforced its deployment in the area to confront the enemy,” the statement said. “A patrol from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) arrived to document the violations, which forced the enemy forces to retreat back into occupied territory.”

The statement added that the Army Command “continues to monitor developments along the southern border in coordination with UNIFIL.”

Under the cease-fire agreement, which came into effect on Nov. 27, Hezbollah was expected to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the Israeli border, leaving only the Lebanese Army and U.N. peacekeeping forces in the area.

Despite the terms of the agreement, Israel has maintained its presence in five positions in southern Lebanon. Violations have persisted, with near-daily attacks and incursions into southern Lebanon, repeated strikes on the Bekaa, and four airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut with the most recent being on June 5. These attacks have killed more than 270 people in Lebanon, including dozens of civilians, according to figures compiled by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and L’Orient Today.