Shafaq News – Middle East

Israel’s military accused the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) of “leaking sensitive military intelligence” to Hezbollah, according to comments aired on Israel’s Army Radio on Sunday.

Senior officers said UNIFIL’s mandate allows its personnel to approach areas near Israeli positions along the Blue Line, the UN-demarcated withdrawal line that separates Israel from Lebanon, enabling them to film and document troop movements. They argued that such access risks exposing operational details that could reach Hezbollah.

One officer told Army Radio that Israel sees “no benefit” in the mission and views it as a barrier to its security operations.

Army Radio also reported that the Israeli Army recently discovered an internal UNIFIL document referring to Israel as “the enemy.” After Israel demanded an explanation, UNIFIL reportedly apologized, saying the phrasing had been copied from Lebanese Army terminology and “forgotten” in the final text.

“There is nothing good in UNIFIL,” a senior Israeli military personnel said, according to Army Radio. “They contribute nothing, certainly not to disarming Hezbollah, and harm the IDF’s freedom of action. The sooner they move out of the area and end their activity, the better.”

Tensions between Israel and UNIFIL escalated again in late 2025. In October, the mission reported a series of Israeli actions near its patrols, including a drone-dropped grenade and tank fire close to peacekeepers operating in the Kfar Kila area. UNIFIL said the incidents were “clear violations of its mandate and international law.” In November, the mission said an Israeli Merkava tank fired from a position inside Lebanese territory, with heavy-machine-gun rounds striking the ground only meters from a foot patrol.

Israeli officials maintained that UNIFIL failed to limit Hezbollah’s military activity in southern Lebanon. Position papers on official government platforms described both UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army as operating “under Hezbollah control” and called for a tougher mandate focused on removing armed groups from the border area.

Read more: Lebanon: A nation unraveling tensions overshadow independence