Major General Diodato Abagnara of Italy today assumed command of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), taking over from Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro of Spain, during a special ceremony held at the Mission’s headquarters in Naqoura, south Lebanon.

This morning, UNIFIL peacekeepers conducting a planned patrol coordinated with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were confronted by a group of individuals in civilian clothing in the vicinity of Hallusiyat al Tahta, in southern Lebanon.

Amid the continued presence and military activities of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in certain areas north of the Blue Line, UNIFIL peacekeepers in Sector West have assisted dozens of farmers, including approximately 20 in the village of Marwahin, in accessing their land and a