
UNIFIL spokeswoman Candice Ardell told BBC News that Hezbollah supporters had often blocked the organization's convoys, accusing them of spying for Israel.
The IDF has committed more than 10,000 air and ground violations in Lebanon over the past year, UNIFIL claimed earlier this week, while condemning both Israel and Hezbollah for violating the ceasefire.
Admitting that Hezbollah has continued to maintain unauthorized weapons and assets in Lebanon’s south, the UN agency said it was committed to maintaining Security Council Resolution 1701.
UNFIL shared that over the past year, peacekeepers have maintained patrols and supported the redeployment of its operations to achieve the monopoly of weapons south of the Litani River. The UN organization also claimed to have helped clear roads and remove hazards and to have facilitated recovery activities.
Despite UNIFIL’s frequent criticism of Israel, UNIFIL has struggled to fulfil its obligations in Lebanon as Hezbollah supporters frequently block UN convoys, claiming UNIFIL is acting as spies for Israel, UNIFIL spokeswoman Candice Ardell told BBC News. When the Lebanese army arrives, Hezbollah denies playing any role in the tensions, she claimed.
Israel's alleged ceasefire violations in southern Lebanon
“Since September 27 last year, we have witnessed and reported more than 10,000 violations of UN Resolution 1701. We continue to advise both sides to refrain from any violations that could destabilize the situation,” Ardell told the BBC on Sunday.
Ardell claimed "the biggest violation is the continued deployment of Israeli army forces on Lebanese soil in five locations where they built bases."
Outside of the bases, Ardell complained there was territory still controlled by the IDF.
"These are buffer zones where the Israeli army may not be present all the time, but it does not allow people to return to these areas,” she said. “It also prevents peacekeepers and the Lebanese army from patrolling these areas."
Despite the IDF frequently announcing it has struck Hezbollah terrorists attempting to re-establish control in southern Lebanon, Ardell claimed, “Since November 27 of last year, we have not seen any evidence that Hezbollah is building military sites or that any non-state group is conducting military activity between the Blue Line and the Litani River.
Speaking on Hezbollah’s violations, Ardell admitted, "We continue to discover ammunition and weapons that are probably left over from last year's conflict, but in any case, it is considered a violation because these are unlicensed weapons south of the Litani River. We are handing these weapons over to the Lebanese army.
“ We have also witnessed the firing of about 20 rockets during this period from north of the blue line, which is Lebanese territory."
IDF firing on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon
Speaking on the incident earlier this month in which anIDF tank fired warning shots toward UNIFIL soldiers, which the IDF explained was the result of poor weather, Ardell said she was unconvinced the military’s explanation was suitable.
"The Israeli army was aware that the peacekeepers would be in that location at that time and that their soldiers fired what they said was a warning shot. This is very concerning because the warning shots hit where the peacekeepers were patrolling on foot,” she said. “This is a dangerous situation."
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