Israeli settlers breach Blue Line, set up tents in Lebanon as country records 400 ceasefire violations

Report by Bassam Abou Zeid, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah on November 27, Lebanon has recorded more than 400 Israeli violations of the agreement. 

The most serious breach, revealed by the Israeli army, involved settlers from the Uri Tzafon organization, which advocates for settlement in southern Lebanon. 

The group crossed the Blue Line near Maroun El Ras, entered several meters into Lebanese territory, and set up tents before being removed by the Israeli army. The organization had previously announced, on the 8th of this month, that one of its groups had entered Lebanese territory.

This violation, along with continued airstrikes, shootings, explosions, delays in troop withdrawals, and drone and warplane flights, was raised by the Lebanese delegation during a meeting of the ceasefire monitoring committee tasked with implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. The meeting took place in Naqoura. 

The Lebanese army, meanwhile, maintains daily communication with the monitoring committee, reporting every violation to the committee, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prompt action at the U.N. Security Council.

Furthermore, military sources told LBCI that the violations are unjustifiable. They said the U.S. has been pressuring Israel to halt the breaches, as they are not authorized under Resolution 1701 or the ceasefire agreement. 

The sources also noted that casualties resulting from these violations often include civilians, some of whom may be Hezbollah members, though unarmed and not involved in transporting military equipment.

Israel, according to observers monitoring the committee’s work, claims that its military actions in southern Lebanon are justified under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. 

The article preserves the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense for member states in the event of an armed attack until the Security Council takes measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.

These observers also said Israel argues that Resolution 1701 has not been fully implemented, which it uses to justify its military actions until the resolution is enforced.