Israel Significantly Restricts UN Peacekeeping Forces Operations in Lebanon

Israel has significantly managed to restrict the operations of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Southern Lebanon, reducing its role mainly to serving as an official international witness to Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory, according to Lebanese army officers.

Previously, in January 2026, the UNIFIL peacekeeping contingent reported three attacks carried out by the Israeli army in Southern Lebanon.

“The significance of the presence of UNIFIL international forces in Southern Lebanon is practically reduced today to being witnesses to Israeli attacks and ongoing violations by the Israeli army, which have even extended to attacks on UNIFIL forces themselves,” said Abdelrahman Shahehtlin, a retired general of the Lebanese army and a former representative of the Lebanese government in the UN peacekeeping mission, in comments to RIA Novosti.