The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, has welcomed the ceasefire announcement, saying it will “cooperate with all relevant partners to make the cessation of hostilities work.”
UNIFIL said that peacekeepers from 48 countries have remained in place and are ready to support in the implementation of Resolution 1701.
It also said it has already begun adjusting its operations to the “new situation.”
The Lebanese army also announced that it has begun to bolster its presence in the South Litani region and to resume authority there with UNIFIL, based on “the Lebanese government’s commitment to implementing Security Council Resolution 1701.”
It said in a statement that this includes strengthening the deployment of the army and all security forces in the South Litani region.
The army added, “In this context, the concerned military units are moving from several areas to the South Litani region, where they will be stationed in the locations designated for them.”
It also called on citizens returning to the border villages and towns in the south, especially in the districts of Tyre, Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun to respond to the directives of the military units and not to approach the areas where Israeli enemy forces are present, for their safety, especially since “they may be subject to gunfire from enemy forces.”
The newly announced ceasefire in Lebanon aims to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was adopted to end a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.
Following that war, UN Resolution 1701 was passed to resolve the conflict, hoping to ensure a lasting ceasefire around a demilitarised buffer zone.
The 19-paragraph resolution stipulated that Israel must withdraw all of its forces from southern Lebanon, and that only UN peacekeepers and the Lebanese army would be allowed to operate in the buffer zone south of the Litani River, with no other armed groups permitted in the area.
It also called on the Lebanese government to prevent Hezbollah from arming itself without the consent of the cabinet.
A UN peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, is the main body that has been tasked with implementing Resolution 1701. UNIFIL was formed in 1978 to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops that had invaded southern Lebanon early on in Lebanon’s civil war.
Both Israel and Hezbollah have, over the years, traded blame for violations and provocations. Lebanon has filed dozens of complaints to the UN, especially about Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty, including more than 35,000 airspace violations since 2006, while Israel has long complained that Hezbollah remained armed at the border.
Israel Imposes Curfew On Southern Lebanon
Meanwhile, Israeli forces issued an overnight curfew on southern Lebanon.
Israeli army Arabic-language Spokesman, Avichay Adraee said on X, “We inform you that starting from 5pm [15:00 GMT] until tomorrow morning at 7am [05:00 GMT], it is absolutely forbidden to travel south of the Litani River,” adding that any movement in that area “exposes you to danger.”
The spokesman disclosed that the Israeli military “is still deployed in its positions in southern Lebanon in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire agreement, and our forces will deal firmly with any movement that violates this agreement.”
Separately, Influential Lebanese MP, Hassan Fadlallah denied that Hezbollah fighters have visible bases in south Lebanon, saying nobody could force residents to leave their villages.
Fadlallah noted that there is “full cooperation” with the Lebanese state over strengthening the army’s deployment in south Lebanon, adding that the group has “no visible weapons or bases.”
The ceasefire agreement between the group and Israel, implemented earlier this morning, stipulates that the Lebanese army be the only armed presence in southern Lebanon.
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