UNIFIL denies rumors that large convoy withdrew from southern Lebanon

UNIFIL spokesperson Dani Ghafari denied on Saturday rumors claiming that a convoy of around 100 vehicles belonging to the peacekeeping force had withdrawn from southern Lebanon toward the Bekaa.

A video circulated by several websites showed a large UNIFIL convoy in the Bekaa region, while other outlets reported that UNIFIL personnel were seen leaving Lebanon through Beirut airport as the Israeli army escalated its attacks on southern Lebanon over the past week.

However, Ghafari told the FactCheck team at the Ministry of Information that the matter “is nothing more than a routine logistical rotation that takes place periodically.”

“This is what is happening now, as members of one unit are leaving and others are replacing them,” he added.

UNIFIL’s mandate expires at the end of 2026, although its full withdrawal is expected to be completed in 2027.

The peacekeeping force has not been spared during the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which resumed on March 2. Several peacekeepers, including Indonesian and French personnel, have been killed.