UNIFIL Warns of Surging Israeli Military Activity in Southern Lebanon as Civilian Toll Mounts

BEIRUT / ISTANBUL, Aug 18 — The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has warned of a sharp surge in Israeli military activity across southern Lebanon over the past two weeks, cautioning that escalating tensions are forcing civilians to pay a heavy price.

In an official statement issued on Monday, UNIFIL reported that peacekeepers recorded an average of 137 projectiles daily between Aug 5 and Aug 16, with intensity peaking at 208 projectiles on Saturday and 185 on Sunday.

“As tensions rise, civilians are once again paying the highest price, with many families displaced or forced to change their daily routines because of insecurity and uncertainty,” UNIFIL stated.

The UN mission confirmed that its peacekeepers remain deployed on the ground to maintain patrols, monitor security developments, clear road hazards, mitigate explosive risks, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. UNIFIL reaffirmed that UN Security Council Resolution 1701—adopted in 2006 to enforce a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah while strengthening Lebanese army and UNIFIL deployments—remains the fundamental framework for restoring stability.

Concurrently, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun voiced firm support on Monday for renewing UNIFIL’s mandate, urging the adoption of a formula to guarantee the continued presence of international peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. With UNIFIL’s mandate set to expire at the end of 2026, Beirut maintains that the peacekeeping force is indispensable to southern stability amid ongoing international debate regarding the force’s mission and future.

The escalation comes as diplomatic efforts continue to consolidate security arrangements established under a June 26 “framework formula” agreement signed between Beirut and Tel Aviv. The accord outlines a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from all occupied Lebanese territory to facilitate the deployment of the Lebanese army, alongside provisions calling for the disarmament of non-state armed groups.

Despite the agreement, Israeli military forces maintain positions across multiple sectors of southern Lebanon, including areas held under long-standing occupation as well as territory occupied during hostilities in 2023 and 2024, when troops advanced more than 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) into sovereign Lebanese land.

The cumulative death toll from repeated Israeli military strikes on southern Lebanon has reached 4,346 since March 2, after two separate airstrikes on Saturday claimed an additional 11 lives.

–NMT