UNIFIL says Israeli flags on Lebanese roads violate UN resolution

The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon said on Monday that the raising of Israeli flags along a main coastal road in southern Lebanon constitutes a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The force called on all parties to avoid provocative actions that could escalate tensions.

Earlier this year, the Israeli military swept through large areas of southern Lebanon during its conflict with Hezbollah, declaring the creation of a unilateral security zone to protect northern Israel from attacks by the Iran-backed group.

On Sunday, Israeli Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal posted a video showing Israeli flags flying along the coastal road between Naqoura and Tyre, a vital route used by UNIFIL forces. Reuters verified the location of the footage but could not determine when it was filmed. Segal said Israeli soldiers had sent him the video.

UNIFIL spokesperson Candice Ardiel said peacekeepers had observed several Israeli flags inside Lebanese territory, including some recently placed along the coastal road and in the town of Naqoura, calling this a violation of Resolution 1701.

Ardiel added that UNIFIL urges the Israeli military and all parties to halt violations of the resolution and refrain from any provocative acts that could lead to further escalation or breaches.

For its part, the Israeli military said its forces are operating in southern Lebanon to remove Hezbollah threats to Israeli civilians and soldiers, stressing its commitment to international law and that it does not target the Lebanese state or its citizens. The Lebanese army has not yet commented.

Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced that Israel would not withdraw from southern Lebanon before Hezbollah is disarmed, while a US-brokered agreement calls for a phased Israeli withdrawal in parallel with the group's disarmament.

Hezbollah, founded by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1982, opposes any discussion of its weapons before an Israeli withdrawal and rejects ongoing talks between Beirut and Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the buffer zone as a major achievement during his visit to troops on June 30, while the area remains largely deserted by Lebanese civilians who have fled nearly destroyed villages.

Lebanon's health ministry reported that at least 11 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, one of the deadliest attacks in weeks. The Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in response to attacks on its soldiers in the area.