Lebanese army, UNIFIL block IDF border work in the North

Although Israel and the Lebanese government have generally agreed on "the Blue Line" as a border between the countries, Hezbollah does not recognize this line.

 THE IDF’S Unit 769 and members of the Devorah Unit train on the Lebanese border. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
THE IDF’S Unit 769 and members of the Devorah Unit train on the Lebanese border.
(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

The Lebanese army and UNIFIL on Monday blocked IDF soldiers, engineers and bulldozers from continuing various border-setting activities.

Videos showed a standoff at Wadi Hunin in the North with Lebanese soldiers, IDF soldiers and UNIFIL personnel all standing in extremely close proximity to one another after the Lebanese side insisted that Israel halt its activities.

Another video showed IDF personnel and vehicles withdrawing from the disputed position.

What is the situation on the Israel-Lebanon border?

Although Israel and the Lebanese government have generally agreed on "the Blue Line" as a border between the countries, Hezbollah does not recognize this line.

Disputes between the IDF and Hezbollah have led Israel to take certain actions to add fences and other physical boundaries to better secure its side of the Blue Line.

A PEACEKEEPER of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands at a lookout point in the village of Adaisseh near the Lebanese-Israeli border. (credit: REUTERS/KARAMALLAH DAHER)
A PEACEKEEPER of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands at a lookout point in the village of Adaisseh near the Lebanese-Israeli border. (credit: REUTERS/KARAMALLAH DAHER)

However, due to the nature of the physical lands involved, it is not always possible to build these obstacles exactly on the UN-set line, which sometimes leads to additional disputes even with the Lebanese army and UNIFIL.

Often though, such disputes are handled in three-way meetings beforehand and not suddenly in the field.

Senior IDF commanders on the northern border recently told The Jerusalem Post that such activities were critical to securing the border from Hezbollah and that they would not hesitate to carry them out.

The IDF has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the incident. 

This is a developing story.