After UNIFIL complaint, IDF says force in Lebanon did not coordinate activity

The IDF responds to claims made by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that the military harmed its “freedom of movement” in southern Lebanon and damaged its vehicles yesterday, saying that the observers arrived in an area unannounced.

“Yesterday, a UNIFIL convoy arrived without coordination in an area where IDF troops are operating against the Hezbollah terrorist organization in southern Lebanon. After the convoy entered the area, IDF troops allowed it to pass,” the military says in response to a query.

The observer force said that Israeli troops “rammed UNIFIL vehicles with a Merkava tank, in one case causing significant damage.”

The IDF says that it is aware of the claim that “during the convoy’s passage, a minor collision occurred between one of the convoy’s vehicles and an IDF vehicle.”

“The IDF is operating against the Hezbollah terrorist organization, and not against UNIFIL forces or Lebanese civilians. The IDF calls on UNIFIL forces to avoid movement in the active combat zone and to continue coordinating movements in advance as customary, for their safety,” the military adds.