UN official says UNIFIL supporting Lebanese troop deployments as challenges to freedom of movement persist

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, a United Nations official, told the Security Council that the cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel remains fragile but continues to hold and that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has stepped up support for Lebanese Armed Forces deployments south of the Litani River.

Lacroix said Lebanese authorities have committed to upholding their obligations under Security Council resolution 1701 and that, as of Jan. 15, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) had deployed to 93 locations south of the Litani River compared with an estimated 10 locations on Nov. 27. "UNIFIL has supported the Lebanese army in its deployment to many of these locations," Lacroix said.

Why it matters: the implementation of resolution 1701 and the parties' respect for the cessation of hostilities are central to security and the return of residents to communities near the Blue Line. Lacroix emphasized both operational and political steps the mission and the parties must take for stability to be sustained.

Details from the briefing included UNIFIL reporting that it had located 116 caches of weapons and ammunition, including rocket-propelled grenade launchers, rockets, anti-tank mines and rifles, and that it had observed potential tunnel and sites associated with Hezbollah.…