UN officials call for ceasefire compliance after 15 people killed in Lebanon

This article is published in association with United Nations.

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. 

Violations of resolution 1701 recorded daily

“Displaced communities, already facing a long road to recovery and reconstruction, are therefore once again being called on to exercise caution. Also, violations of UN Security Council resolution 1701 continue to be recorded daily.”

That landmark resolution, adopted in 2006, called for the creation of a buffer zone between the countries and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

By the terms of the November ceasefire agreement, Israel was meant to have fully withdrawn its forces from the area by Sunday.

‘So much at stake’

The Special Coordinator and UNIFIL chief said “compliance by both parties with their obligations under the November agreement and the full implementation of resolution 1701 constitute the only way to bring closure to the recent, dark chapter of conflict and open a new one, heralding security, stability and prosperity on both sides of the Blue Line.”

At the same time, the UN will continue to engage all actors towards this end and remains ready to support any action consistent with resolution 1701 and the efforts of the Implementation Mechanism to achieve the objectives of the November Understanding. 

“With so much at stake for both Lebanon and Israel, recommitment is urgently needed from all sides,” they said in the statement.

Much has changed since ceasefire

The UN officials said much has changed in Lebanon since the Cessation of Hostilities Understanding came into force on 27 November 2024.

Violence has dramatically decreased, and in many areas of southern Lebanon, hundreds of thousands of people have been able to return to their towns and villages.

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have shown resolve in deploying to positions from which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are withdrawing, the UN officials said.

Supported by UNIFIL, the Lebanese forces are helping to restore services and facilitating humanitarian access to communities most affected by conflict, they said.

The ongoing government formation process, following the election of a president and the designation of a prime minister, is a critical step in building trust between Lebanese citizens and the State, they explained. These developments also augur well for prospective support to the full extension of state authority over all Lebanese territory and for the country’s recovery, reconstruction and growth.

UNIFIL troops stand ready

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) remains very concerned about reports of Lebanese civilians returning to villages where Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are still present and of casualties due to Israeli fire, according to a statement by the mission on Sunday.

At Lebanese Armed Forces request, UNIFIL peacekeepers are deploying to areas indicated by the Lebanese forces across the mission’s area of operations to monitor the situation and help prevent any further escalation.

“However, the management of crowds remains outside our mandate,” according to UNFIL, which is tasked with supporting the implementation of resolution 1701.

‘IDF must stop firing on civilians in Lebanon’

“It is imperative to avoid further deterioration of the situation,” the UN peacekeeping mission said, calling on the Lebanese population to adhere to the directives of the LAF, which aim to protect lives and prevent an escalation of violence in southern Lebanon.

“The IDF must avoid firing at civilians within Lebanese territory. Further violence risks undermining the fragile security situation in the area and prospects for stability ushered in by the cessation of hostilities and the formation of a Government in Lebanon,” UNIFIL said.

The UN mission emphasised the critical importance of fully implementing resolution 1701 and the cessation of hostilities arrangements through established mechanisms, which includes the complete withdrawal of the IDF from Lebanon, the removal of any unauthorised weapons and assets south of the Litani river, the redeployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in all of south Lebanon and ensuring the safe and dignified return of displaced civilians on both sides of the Blue Line.