UN says Lebanese Army has significantly increased its deployment in south
The U.N. peacekeeping chief says Lebanon's armed forces have significantly increased their deployment in the south near the border with Israel over the past two months.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix spoke to the U.N. Security Council in a video briefing from Beirut.
He said Lebanese troops have moved into 93 locations in the south since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah began on Nov. 27. That's up from an estimated 10 locations south of the Litani River at the time of the truce, he said.
As part of the government’s plan to deploy an additional 6,000 troops to the south, he said, 262 new recruits have arrived, another 673 are undergoing training and an additional 600 are undergoing pre-recruitment screening.
Lacroix echoed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is also visiting Lebanon, in urging Israeli forces to withdraw without delay.
The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire gave Israeli forces and Hezbollah two months to leave southern Lebanon and hand over control to the Lebanese Army and U.N. peacekeepers.
“With 10 days until the end of the stated 60-day period for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, however, Israeli demolitions of tunnels, buildings, and agricultural land continue,” he said. “Some airstrikes have also been reported, as have ongoing violations of Lebanese airspace.”
Israel has said its actions are targeting Hezbollah assets and personnel, Lacroix said, but the presence of Israeli forces in Lebanon is a violation of the Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.
Source: Associated Press
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