Israel to UNIFIL: Stay Under Covered Areas
2/2/2026 12:50:00 PM
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced in a statement that it had been informed by the Israeli army on the morning of the previous day that it would carry out an aerial activity to drop what it described as a non-toxic chemical substance over areas close to the Blue Line. The Israeli army said that peacekeepers should stay away and remain under cover, which forced UNIFIL to cancel more than ten activities.
The statement added: “Peacekeepers could not perform normal operations near the Blue Line along about a third of its length and were only able to resume normal activities after over nine hours. They supported the Lebanese Armed Forces in collecting samples to be tested for toxicity.”
The statement stressed that “this activity is unacceptable and constitutes a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” noting that “the Israeli army’s deliberate and planned actions not only limited peacekeepers’ ability to undertake their mandated activities, but also potentially put their health and that of civilians at risk. It also raised concerns about the effects of this unknown chemical on local agricultural lands, and how this might impact the return of civilians to their homes and livelihoods in the long-term.”
The statement pointed out that “this is not the first time the Israeli army has dropped unknown chemical substances from airplanes over Lebanon.”
It concluded: “We continue to remind the Israeli army that flights by their aircraft into Lebanon are violations of resolution 1701, and any activity that puts peacekeepers and civilians at risk are of serious concern. We again call on the Israeli army to stop all such activities and work with peacekeepers to support the stability we are all working to achieve.”
The statement added: “Peacekeepers could not perform normal operations near the Blue Line along about a third of its length and were only able to resume normal activities after over nine hours. They supported the Lebanese Armed Forces in collecting samples to be tested for toxicity.”
The statement stressed that “this activity is unacceptable and constitutes a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” noting that “the Israeli army’s deliberate and planned actions not only limited peacekeepers’ ability to undertake their mandated activities, but also potentially put their health and that of civilians at risk. It also raised concerns about the effects of this unknown chemical on local agricultural lands, and how this might impact the return of civilians to their homes and livelihoods in the long-term.”
The statement pointed out that “this is not the first time the Israeli army has dropped unknown chemical substances from airplanes over Lebanon.”
It concluded: “We continue to remind the Israeli army that flights by their aircraft into Lebanon are violations of resolution 1701, and any activity that puts peacekeepers and civilians at risk are of serious concern. We again call on the Israeli army to stop all such activities and work with peacekeepers to support the stability we are all working to achieve.”