Toxicology tests
“The IDF said peacekeepers should stay away from the area,“Dujarric told reporters in New York, adding that peacekeepers had supported the Lebanese army in collecting dumped samples for a toxicology report.
As of Monday afternoon, test results had not been received.
The Blue Line extends approximately 120 kilometers along Lebanon’s southern border and serves as a “line of withdrawal” confirming Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
The UN reiterated its concerns about flight movements across the Blue Line, saying such activities violate Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, and outlines UNIFIL’s mandate.
The last cessation of hostilities agreement between the two sides was signed in November 2024, after violence broke out between Hezbollah and Israel across the Blue Line following the start of the Gaza war.
“Any activity that could put peacekeepers and civilians at risk is a cause for serious concern,” Dujarric said. “We reiterate our call on all parties to fully comply with their obligations under resolution 1701.”
Broader concerns
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 long-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 chemicals from planes over Lebanon,” the mission said, reiterating its call to the IDF “stop all such activities and work with peacekeepers to support the stability we are all working for.”