The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon, the UNIFILdenounced this Friday that a separation wall built by the Israeli Army in the south of the country the call has gone through ‘Blue Line’, the border drawn 25 years ago by the UN between both countries.
Last month, UNIFIL began studying through satellite images a wall installed southwest of the town of Yarun, which has been extended this month to the southeast of the city and has been expanded with the erection of another wall in the towns of Aytarun and Marun ar Ras.
Despite the ceasefire declared in November last year with the Lebanese Hezbollah militias, Israel continues to fail to fulfill its commitment to withdraw from the areas of southern Lebanon where it deployed its troops.
The Israeli Army denounces for its part that the Lebanese military forces have failed to fulfill their mission of clear the territory of the presence of Hezbollah militias and is therefore being forced to continue its attacks.
UNIFIL, in any case, denounces that the existence of this structure is illegal and has caused an additional 4,000 square meters in the south of the country to remain inaccessible to the Lebanese people. “The study has confirmed that the wall crossed the Blue Line,” the peacekeeping force added.
“UNIFIL,” adds its statement this Friday, “has reported these findings to the Army and requested that they move these walls” because “the Israeli presence and constructions in Lebanese territory constitute violations of Security Council resolution 1701 and of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon.”
“We again demand that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) respect the ‘Blue Line’ in its entirety and withdraw from all areas north of it,” they added.