Top UN officials in Lebanon are calling for compliance with the ongoing ceasefire after reports that Israeli forces killed 15 people, including a Lebanese soldier, along the buffer zone with Israel, which Israel was due to withdraw from on Sunday under the agreement.
The timelines envisaged in the November ceasefire agreement “have not been met”, according to a joint statement by UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and head of the UN peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, and force commander Aroldo Lázaro.
The agreement between Israel and armed group Hezbollah had been reached after more than a year of fighting, stemming from the Israeli war in Gaza.
“As seen tragically this morning, conditions are not yet in place for the safe return of citizens to their villages along the Blue Line,” they said, referring to the buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon.
Israel warned Lebanese civilians not to return to their homes in the south this weekend, stating it would not withdraw due to alleged violations of ceasefire terms.
