UN forces say Israel built walls inside Lebanon, Israel denies accusation

___________________

United Nations peacekeepers said Friday that Israel's army has built walls in south Lebanon near the UN-demarcated Blue Line, the de facto border, while Israel denied the accusation.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, which has been working with the Lebanese army to consolidate a truce between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah reached last November, called the moves a violation of Lebanese sovereignty.

UNIFIL said in a statement that in October, it surveyed "a concrete T-wall erected by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) southwest of Yaroun. The survey confirmed that the wall crossed the Blue Line, rendering more than 4,000 square metres of Lebanese territory inaccessible to the Lebanese people".

"In November, peacekeepers observed additional T-wall construction in the area. A survey confirmed that a section of wall southeast of Yaroun also crossed the Blue Line," it added.

When asked by AFP about the accusation, the Israeli military said: "The wall is part of a broader (Israeli military) plan whose construction began in 2022. Since the start of the war, and as part of lessons learnt from it, the (Israeli military) has been advancing a series of measures, including reinforcing the physical barrier along the northern border."

"It should be emphasised that the wall does not cross the Blue Line," it added.

Under the ceasefire, Israel was to withdraw its forces from south Lebanon, but it has kept them at five areas it deems strategic and has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon, mainly saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites and operatives.

UNIFIL said that "Israeli presence and construction in Lebanese territory are violations of Security Council resolution 1701 and of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity", referring to a UN resolution that ended a 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

The resolution also formed the basis of last November's truce, which sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, including two months of all-out war.

UNIFIL said it had informed the Israeli army of the October findings and requested it move the walls, adding that the force would formally advise the Israeli army of the results of the November survey.

"We again call on the IDF to respect the Blue Line in its full length and withdraw from all areas north of it," the UNIFIL statement said.