BEIRUT: The Hezbollah group said on Monday it had ordered its fighters not to attack Israeli troops who recently moved behind a UN peacekeeping position near a Lebanese border village.

The statement came a day after UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) warned Israel’s operations near their position at Maroun Al Ras was “extremely dangerous” and compromised their safety, adding it had repeatedly informed Israel of their concerns.

Hezbollah said it had seen “unusual movement of Israeli enemy forces behind a UNIFIL position, on the outskirts of the border village of Maroun Al Ras”. It ordered fighters “not to take action... to preserve the lives of the peacekeepers”, quoting a field commander in its statement.

The group accused Israel of “trying to use UNIFIL forces as human shields”.

On Saturday, UNIFIL said it remained in all positions near the border despite what it said was an Israeli request to “relocate”.

Last week, Israel said it would start carrying out limited ground incursions into south Lebanon. Hezbollah said it had clashed with Israeli troops in the Maroun Al Ras area and confronted attempted infiltrations there several times this week.

Israel has intensified its campaign against Hezbollah since Sept 23, killing more than 1,110 people and forcing thousands to flee their homes.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2024