Between December 2018 and January 2019, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) informed UNIFIL that they had discovered six tunnels along the Blue Line.

Following independent technical investigations undertaken in accordance with its mandate, UNIFIL had already confirmed that two of the tunnels cross the Blue Line, in violation of the UN Security Council resolution 1701.

Recently, UNIFIL carried out a technical inspection of the last tunnel discovered by the IDF in northern Israel close to the Blue Line and across from the Lebanese village of Ramyah.

UNIFIL’s independent assessment confirms that this tunnel crosses the Blue Line in violation of resolution 1701.

Overall, of the six tunnels reported by the IDF until now, UNIFIL has independently confirmed the existence of five tunnels close to the Blue Line in northern Israel. Of these, three tunnels have been found to be crossing the Blue Line.

UNIFIL has informed the Lebanese authorities about the violation and has requested urgent follow-up actions in accordance with the responsibilities of the Government of Lebanon pursuant to resolution 1701.

UNIFIL remains engaged with the parties to ensure that all activities in sensitive areas are duly coordinated, the Blue Line is fully respected by both sides, and to help the parties uphold their respective obligations towards the cessation of hostilities under resolution 1701.

The situation in UNIFIL’s area of operations remains calm.