Yesterday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told UNIFIL that they would be carrying out an aerial activity dropping what they said was a non-toxic chemical substance over areas near the Blue Line. The IDF said that peacekeepers should stay away and remain under cover, forcing them to cancel over a dozen activities.
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.
This activity was unacceptable and contrary to resolution 1701. The IDF’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.
This is not the first time that the IDF has dropped unknown chemical substances from airplanes over Lebanon. We continue to remind the IDF 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 IDF to stop all such activities and work with peacekeepers to support the stability we are all working to achieve.
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