UN Peacekeepers Monitor Southern Lebanon
According to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), there is no indication that the pro-Iranian group Hezbollah has been rearming its forces following the implementation of a ceasefire with Israel.
"Since the ceasefire agreement came into effect last year, we have not seen south of the Litani river evidence of new weapons entering, of new non-state military infrastructure being built, or of military movements by non-state actors," UNIFIL spokeswoman Kandice Ardiel stated on Friday.
Peacekeeping personnel conduct daily ground operations to oversee the area, she explained.
Ongoing Surveillance and Discoveries
"Before and during the open fighting, they observed and reported activities by non-state actors, including Hezbollah, in the area of operations in southern Lebanon," Ardiel noted.
She described the southern region as delicate, but emphasized that UN forces are actively working to maintain the stability restored after last year's hostilities.
"Peacekeepers are patrolling and reporting their observations every day, and at this point we have discovered almost 400 weapons caches and infrastructure sites that we have referred to the Lebanese Army for disposal, while the army themselves are making similar discoveries," Ardiel added.
"It’s not possible for me to give you a specific percentage, but what I can say is that we continue to discover abandoned weapons caches and infrastructure sites," she remarked.
Ceasefire and Disarmament Framework
The truce between Hezbollah and Israel has been officially active since late November of the previous year.
This arrangement involves the militia's disarmament and its withdrawal, as mandated by UN Resolution 1701, to areas beyond the Litani river, located approximately 30 kilometers north of the Israeli-Lebanese border.
