The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced on Monday that Israeli forces informed the mission a day earlier of plans to conduct an aerial operation involving the release of what Israel described as a non-toxic chemical substance over areas near the Blue Line.
In a press release, UNIFIL said Israeli forces instructed peacekeepers to remain under cover and stay away from the affected areas, forcing the cancellation of more than ten planned activities. As a result, UNIFIL said its personnel were unable to carry out normal operations along roughly one-third of the Blue Line, resuming activities only after more than nine hours had passed.
UNIFIL added that peacekeepers assisted the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in collecting samples for testing to assess the level of toxicity of the substance. The mission said the incident was “unacceptable and constitutes a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.”
According to UNIFIL, the deliberate and planned actions by the Israeli army not only restricted the ability of peacekeepers to fulfill their mandate but also potentially endangered their health and that of civilians. The mission also raised concerns over the possible impact of the unknown chemical on agricultural land and the long-term return of civilians to their homes and livelihoods.
UNIFIL noted that this was not the first time Israeli aircraft had dropped unknown substances over Lebanese territory, reiterating that Israeli overflights of Lebanon violate Resolution 1701. Any activity that endangers peacekeepers and civilians, it said, remains a matter of grave concern.
The mission concluded by once again calling on the Israeli army to cease such activities and to cooperate with peacekeeping forces in support of stability along the Blue Line.
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