Lebanon’s UN interim force spokesman (UNIFIL) Andrea Tennenti described Israeli air strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Thursday night as “a dangerous development,” explaining it would come more than six months after the November 27, 2024 ceasefire agreement.
After issuing the evacuation order, Israeli forces carried out eight strikes in the suburbs, claiming they “targeted the purpose of terrorists belonging to Hezbollah’s aviation units.”
In an interview with Daily Ashaq al-Ausat, Tenenti stressed that the attack “not only constitutes Lebanon’s sovereignty and a violation of Resolution 1701, but also poses a serious threat to the vulnerable stability of this contested region after the halt of hostilities.” He added, “This not only raises tensions, but can cause extremely dangerous situations in areas already suffering from a 15-month conflict.”
Tenenti said the international forces “do not recognize communication between the Lebanese authorities and the Certain Fire Monitoring Committee,” and said such communications exceeded its mission.
“We continue to carry out our assigned duties under resolution 1701, support the full deployment of Lebanese forces within Lebanon, demanding Israeli forces to withdraw from all positions in southern Lebanon, and calling for a halt to Lebanon, but also from within its territory, which could put stagnation at risk.