BEIRUT, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced Monday that it has discovered more than 225 hidden weapons caches south of the Litani River since November 2024 and has referred all it found to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
In a statement, the mission said its over 10,000 peacekeepers continue to operate around the clock in "monitoring and reporting" violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in what it described as "a neutral and professional manner."
The UNIFIL emphasized that operations are closely coordinated and often carried out jointly with the Lebanese military, while noting that full deployment remains obstructed by the continued presence of Israeli forces on Lebanese soil.
A U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire agreement has been in effect since Nov. 27, 2024, bringing an end to over a year of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel linked to the Gaza conflict.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to occupy five hilltops along the Lebanese border and launch occasional strikes inside Lebanon, which it claims target "threats" from Hezbollah.
Established in 1978, UNIFIL's mandate was expanded significantly in 2006 following the previous Hezbollah-Israel war to include enhanced monitoring of the fragile truce after the month-long deadly warfare and support for the Lebanese government in extending its authority across the south. ■
