Unaccompanied UNIFIL patrol intercepted by residents in Sour district

BEIRUT — A group of people intercepted a UNIFIL patrol in Sour district's Mahrouna village and prevented it from entering the village's orchards because "it was not accompanied by a Lebanese Army patrol," according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South.

The people, in civilian clothes, demanded that the patrol leave the town, and the Lebanese Army Intelligence subsequently intervened and made the patrol withdraw.

UNIFIL's spokesperson was not immediately available to comment.

Later on Wednesday, the Municipality of Mahrouna stated that after a UNIFIL Finish Battalion carried out an inspection mission inside the village’s woodland without army accompaniment, the municipality immediately contacted the army, adding that the latter said it did not object to the mission. Moreover, the statement noted that the patrol was carrying an official document issued by the Lebanese Army.

The municipality added that in the phone call, the Lebanese Army said it would send a patrol to the site but that the field inspection ended before the patrol arrived.

The municipality also stressed its "commitment to constant coordination with the Lebanese Army and the relevant authorities, and to monitoring any activity or movement within the town’s jurisdiction to preserve its security and sovereignty."

Tensions between U.N. peacekeepers and people in the South, where Hezbollah maintains strong influence, have increased since the cease-fire between the group and Israel began in November 2024. Friction often arises when UNIFIL convoys patrol without accompaniment by the Lebanese Army. Inhabitants, usually supporters of Hezbollah, frequently block or confront these patrols, accusing the U.N. force of overstepping its mandate.

According to Resolution 1701, UNIFIL is authorized to move independently within its areas of deployment. However, its operations fall under Chapter VI of the U.N. Charter, which limits the use of force. Hezbollah has long challenged UNIFIL's freedom of movement when not coordinated with the Lebanese Army.

The Lebanese military, for its part, says it lacks the manpower to escort every U.N. patrol. Meanwhile, UNIFIL, along with the U.S., France, Lebanon, and Israel, is part of the international monitoring committee overseeing the cease-fire.