An incident north of the Blue Line on Sunday morning led to the suspension of more than a dozen UN peacekeeping activities for over nine hours, according to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. Peacekeepers had been assisting the Lebanese army in collecting samples of an unidentified substance for toxicology testing, though results were not yet available as of Monday afternoon. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had instructed peacekeepers to avoid the area.
The Blue Line, which stretches roughly 120 kilometres along southern Lebanon, serves as a “line of withdrawal” confirming Israel’s pullback from the region. The UN expressed concern over flight movements across the Blue Line, noting that such actions violate Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and defines UNIFIL’s mandate. The latest cessation of hostilities agreement between the two sides was signed in November 2024, following renewed violence along the Blue Line linked to the Gaza war.
Mr. Dujarric emphasized that any activity endangering peacekeepers or civilians is a serious concern and reiterated the call for all parties to comply fully with resolution 1701. UNIFIL also highlighted potential wider risks posed by the unidentified substance, including harm to civilians, agricultural land, and the long-term return of residents to their homes and livelihoods near the Blue Line. The mission noted that this was not the first instance of unknown chemical substances being dropped over Lebanon and urged the IDF to cease such actions and cooperate with peacekeepers to maintain regional stability.
