UNIFIL Suspends Operations In Lebanon At The Behest Of Israeli Military.

South Lebanon; February 2026: United Nation peacekeepers (UNIFIL) has temporarily suspended patrols and other activities along the parts of the ‘Blue Line’ in southern Lebanon after the Israeli military forces have issued a dictum of clearing the non-toxic chemical substance near the frontier, the UN said on Monday. The incident took place north of the Blue Line on Sunday morning (Local Time) and led to the suspension of more than a dozen UN peacekeeping activities for over nine hours.

According to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric: “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”. Dujarric further stated that the IDF said that peacekeepers should stay away and remain under cover, forcing them to cancel over a dozen activities.

As a result, 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.

UN spokesperson Dujarric while further condemning the act of the IDF said, “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”, Dujarric asserted.

Meanwhile, till Monday afternoon, the test results had not been received.

The Blue Line stretches for approximately 120 kilometres along Lebanon’s southern frontier and serves as a “line of withdrawal” confirming Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

The UN reiterated concerns about flight movements across the Blue Line, saying such activities violate Security Council resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 2006 hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, and outlines UNIFIL’s mandate. The latest cessation of hostilities agreement between the two sides was signed in November 2024, after violence flared between Hezbollah and Israeli across the Blue Line following the commencement of the Gaza war.

“Any activity that may put peacekeepers and civilians at risk is of serious concern. We reiterate our call on all parties to fully comply with their obligations under resolution 1701”, Dujarric noted.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said the incident also raised concerns about the potential impact of the unidentified substance on civilians, agricultural land and the longer-term return of residents to their homes and livelihoods near the Blue Line.

“This is not the first time that the IDF has dropped unknown chemical substances from airplanes over Lebanon”, the mission said, reiterating its call on the IDF “to stop all such activities and work with peacekeepers to support the stability we are all working to achieve”.

Team Maverick.