January 5, Beirut In southern Lebanon, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were accused by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) of demolishing its property and the infrastructure of a Lebanese army.

“This morning peacekeepers observed an IDF bulldozer destroying a blue barrel marking the line of withdrawal between Lebanon and Israel in Labbouneh, as well as an observation tower belonging to the Lebanese Armed Forces immediately beside a UNIFIL position there,” UNIFIL stated on the social media site X.

“The IDF’s deliberate and direct destruction of both clearly identifiable UNIFIL property and infrastructure belonging to the Lebanese Armed Forces is a flagrant violation of resolution 1701 and international law,” it said.

According to the Xinhua news agency, UNIFIL urged all parties involved to refrain from any acts that would endanger the ceasefire, such as destroying infrastructure and civilian property.

During her visit to Lebanon on Saturday, Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), also said that “civilians cannot afford for the ceasefire to lapse, plunging them back into heavy fighting that would bring more death and destruction.”

According to an ICRC release, Spoljaric said, “Maintaining the ceasefire is essential for families to return home, rebuild their lives, and for humanitarian assistance to reach those in need.”

“The scale of destruction and the staggering humanitarian needs in Lebanon could have been significantly mitigated if the parties to the conflict had fully adhered to the rules of war,” she said.

In an effort to end the almost 14 months of war between Israel and Hezbollah, a ceasefire mediated by the United States and France went into effect on November 27, 2024.

The ceasefire agreement stipulates that Israel must leave Lebanese land within 60 days, that the Lebanese army must take over security in the south and on the Lebanese-Israeli border, and that no terrorists or weapons may be there.

The Israeli army has continued to target Lebanon in spite of the truce deal, but with much less vigor and with some assaults causing fatalities.