Israeli forces are expanding their presence in Lebanon, according to officials, amid accounts from a UN peacekeeping force that troops are reinforcing positions and continuing demolition work in occupied areas.
The claims emerged during a humanitarian mission conducted by the UN peacekeeping force. Journalists accompanying the mission were shown areas described as occupied, where the peacekeeping force said Israeli troops had been building up their positions.
According to the UN force, the activity includes the strengthening of military positions and ongoing demolitions. The supplied material does not specify the number of sites involved, the scale of the demolitions or when the latest activity began.
The situation is significant because it points to a continuing Israeli military presence inside Lebanon at a time when UN peacekeepers are operating humanitarian missions in affected areas. The peacekeeping force’s account suggests the activity is not limited to a static deployment, but includes work to consolidate positions.
Officials have characterised the development as an expansion of Israel’s presence in Lebanon. No further details were provided in the supplied material about which officials made the assessment, the precise locations visited, or whether any casualties or displacement resulted from the reported demolitions.
The latest known position is that the UN peacekeeping force says Israeli troops remain in the occupied areas it visited and are continuing to fortify positions while demolitions carry on. No Israeli response is included in the supplied material.
