BEIRUT: The United Nations on Saturday expressed concern over Israel's ongoing demolitions in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire in its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah. "The scale of the detonations and demolitions taking place in south Lebanon is deeply concerning, with a devastating impact on civilian infrastructure, cultural heritage, and the collective memory of communities," the UN said in a statement.
The statement comes a day after the Israeli military carried out large overnight detonations near a UNESCO-listed castle in Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the army destroyed "tunnels in the Beaufort area" using approximately 700 tonnes of explosives. Beaufort castle was added last week to Unesco's List of World Heritage in Danger.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday labelled the detonation "an extremely dangerous escalation" and "a direct threat to the process which was launched as part of the framework agreement" reached with Israel during US-sponsored talks last month. Under the Israel-Lebanon deal, Lebanon's army is to disarm Hezbollah and the Israeli military is to withdraw from "pilot zones" where Lebanese forces will subsequently deploy.
The timing of the blasts ahead of another round of talks with Israel in Rome next week "sends negative messages and undermines international efforts aimed at consolidating stability", Aoun added.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported several detonations in other parts of the south since. It also reported at least one Israeli strike on the south on Saturday, saying it wounded two people. The UN said, "this escalating pattern of destruction must stop as diplomatic channels exist to resolve any outstanding issues". Iran-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 with attacks on Israel. Israel retaliated with a massive bombing campaign and a ground offensive that Lebanese authorities say have killed more than 4,300 people.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said on Saturday that it killed several Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon and that an Israeli soldier was injured there despite a ceasefire. The military said it identified several Hezbollah fighters overnight inside what Israel has labelled a "security zone" in southern Lebanon which its forces occupy. "Following the identification, the soldiers struck the terrorists and eliminated them in order to remove the threat," the military said in a statement. Israeli forces "will continue to operate to remove any threat to its soldiers and will not allow the Hezbollah organisation to harm Israeli civilians", it said. An Israeli soldier was moderately injured, the military said earlier, and was evacuated to a hospital for treatment.
When contacted in Beirut, Hezbollah did not comment. The Iranian-backed group has not claimed any attacks since June 20. A US-sponsored framework agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel in late June aims to end hostilities, with Lebanon's army to disarm Hezbollah and the Israeli military to withdraw from "pilot zones" inside Lebanon where Lebanese forces will subsequently deploy.
Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected the deal and refuses to disarm, while there is no timetable for Israel's full withdrawal. The deal came more than three months after Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East war with rocket fire at Israel in support of Tehran on March 2, triggering major Israeli air strikes and a ground invasion.
While violence has declined since the signing of a preliminary US-Iran deal in June and the Lebanon-Israel agreement, Lebanon continues to report intermittent Israeli strikes and artillery shelling on the south. Lebanon's army last week condemned ongoing Israeli military activities that it said were preventing its full deployment under the framework deal. Since the war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted in early March, Israel's military has reported 38 soldiers and one civilian contractor killed. — AFP
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