UN: convoy halted near Nakura as access restrictions persist for UNIFIL operations

Farhan, a United Nations spokesperson, told reporters that a routine convoy carrying military and civilian peacekeepers and local contractors from Beirut to UNIFIL (the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) headquarters was halted by Israel Defense Forces personnel a few kilometers from Nakura. He said UN‑marked vehicles were eventually permitted to proceed, but local contractors were required to return to Beirut under security arrangements despite the convoy having been fully deconflicted in advance and their presence explicitly cleared.

"This is not an isolated incident," Farhan said, describing similar restrictions — physical roadblocks and reversals of prior clearances — that have affected both peacekeepers and civilian personnel who support them. He said the UN has raised alarms about these obstructions with Israeli authorities and works through a tripartite mechanism involving the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israel Defense Forces to coordinate movements.

When asked who the UN is speaking to in Israel to secure freedom of movement for UNIFIL personnel, Farhan said the UN has been in touch with Israeli authorities but added that the success of measures depends on the parties involved. In response to a question about whether obstructions were being carried out by Lebanese actors, Farhan said such restrictions were not by the Lebanese Armed Forces and that obstructions by Hezbollah have also been reported, while the day’s note focused on the IDF.

The spokesperson reiterated the secretary‑general’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and full respect for humanitarian access, saying repeated obstructions and strikes complicate UN efforts to protect civilians and deliver aid.