Overview
- UN peacekeepers said surveys in October and November confirmed sections of an Israeli-built concrete T-wall near Yaroun cross the Blue Line, blocking access to more than 4,000 square metres of Lebanese land.
- UNIFIL informed the Israeli military of its findings and requested the wall be removed, calling the construction a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
- The Israeli military denies crossing the Blue Line, saying the barrier is part of a defensive plan begun in 2022 and that it has been reinforcing northern border defenses since the war.
- Lebanon’s presidency tasked the foreign minister with filing an urgent Security Council complaint, citing UN evidence that the structure extends beyond the demarcation line.
- The dispute comes as Israel retains five forward positions inside Lebanon despite the November 2024 ceasefire, with Lebanese leaders warning that continuing strikes and fortifications impede reconstruction and stability in the south.