The Maronite Christian bishops of Lebanon issued a joint statement last week denouncing Israel’s “daily attacks on the South and other regions of Lebanon, which are bringing the country to the brink of war once again.”
The statement called on all “parties concerned” to “respect the ceasefire and to continue the implementation of Resolution 1701,” and to “not place the burden of the situation on Lebanon, which is the weakest link in the chain of peace demands.”
The bishops said it was unfair for Lebanon’s civilian population to be caught in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and said civilian populations have suffered greatly during the hostilities.
The ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Lebanon in November 2024 obliged Lebanon to disarm the terrorists of Hezbollah, who had been launching frequent missile attacks against Israeli cities for the previous year.
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1701 was adopted in 2006 to end a previous round of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. Like the 2024 ceasefire agreement, the resolution called for Hezbollah to disarm and Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon. The fact that the 2024 ceasefire was necessary stands as evidence that UNSC Resolution 1701 was not meticulously observed.
The Israelis have long complained that the U.N. observation force established in Lebanon, UNIFIL, did not do a thorough job of ensuring Hezbollah honored its side of the agreement. Hezbollah had plenty of weapons in position to open fire on Israel in 2023, after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas initiated the latest war in Gaza.
Israel is once again accusing Hezbollah of reneging on its obligations to disarm and criticizing the Lebanese Army for not moving aggressively enough to neutralize Hezbollah’s weapons. Hezbollah, in turn, insists it will not disarm as long as Israel is launching strikes against Lebanon.
“I think what’s clear is that Hamas and Hezbollah, in the north in a similar way, are interested in violating the agreement. They’re interested in the agreement being held on our side, and they’re interested to violate it without any consequences,” IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday it conducted another airstrike against a “weapons storage facility and underground infrastructure used by Hezbollah” in southern Lebanon.
The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) estimated that Israeli strikes on Hezbollah positions have killed 108 Lebanese civilians over the past year. Israel accused Hezbollah of deliberately locating its weapons in civilian areas.
The IDF said the Hezbollah infrastructure it bombed on Thursday was located next to a public sports and leisure center, “serving as yet another example of Hezbollah’s cynical use of Lebanese civilians as human shields for its operations conducted from within civilian areas.”
“Hezbollah is playing with fire and the President of Lebanon is dragging his feet. The Lebanese government’s commitment to disarm Hezbollah and remove it from southern Lebanon must be carried out,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said at the beginning of November.
Both Katz and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they would not allow Hezbollah rockets to become a threat to Israeli citizens again.
The Lebanese government claims it is working as fast as it can to disarm Hezbollah and perceives the Israeli strikes as infringements upon its sovereignty.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told the French government on Thursday that “moral support” for his forces is not enough, and he needs additional “resources and equipment” to carry out his mission.
Aoun said reconstruction in southern Lebanon was impossible “amid daily Israeli attacks, which now target civilians and infrastructure.” He cited Israel’s strike on Thursday as an example and said Israel’s actions were also making it more difficult for the Lebanese Army to confiscate Hezbollah’s weapons.
“Despite Israeli violations, the Lebanese Army continues operations south of the Litani River, notably to confiscate weapons and munitions, inspect tunnels and depots, and assert state authority in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and the security plan approved by the Lebanese government,” he said.
Aoun insisted the Lebanese Army “carries out its instructions with precision” and Israeli claims of negligence are “fabrications.”
“Reconstruction is the cornerstone for enabling southerners to return and remain steadfast, but that cannot happen under daily Israeli attacks targeting civilians and public facilities,” he said.
Aoun and other Lebanese officials have accused Israel of targeting construction equipment used in reconstruction activities, while the Israelis say that equipment has been commandeered by Hezbollah to build fortifications.
On Friday, UNIFIL accused Israel of building a concrete defensive wall across the “blue line” or demarcation line into Lebanese territory, effectively cutting off 4,000 square meters of Lebanese territory. UNIFIL said construction of the wall was still ongoing, and other sections could also cross the blue line.
“We again call on the IDF to respect the Blue Line in its full length and withdraw from all areas north of it,” UNIFIL said.
The IDF on Friday denied building walls on Lebanese territory, but said it was building a reinforced barrier along the demarcation line, as part of a “larger plan” that was initiated in 2022.