On patrol with Unifil troops in Lebanon searching for Hezbollah positions

A Unifil spokesperson said the main violations of a ceasefire deal reached six months ago are from the Israeli side.

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Under a ceasefire reached six months ago that ended more than a year of conflict, Hezbollah agreed to remove its fighters and weapons from southern Lebanon. As part of the deal, the Lebanese army would deploy thousands of soldiers to the area, while Israel would withdraw troops that had invaded the country during the war.

According to Kandice Ardial, Unifil deputy spokesperson, the main violations of the deal are "from the Israeli side". She mentioned frequent Israeli air strikes, constant infiltrations of Lebanese air space by Israeli drones and fighter jets, as well as the presence of Israeli soldiers in five points inside Lebanon.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said at least 71 civilians, including 14 women and nine children, had been killed in Lebanon in Israeli air strikes since the ceasefire came into effect.

Israel says it is attacking Hezbollah members and positions which it says are a threat, and that the presence of its soldiers is to guarantee the security of northern Israeli communities. The Lebanese government says this is a breach of the agreement and a violation of the country's sovereignty and has urged the international community to put pressure on Israel to withdraw its troops from those locations and stop its attacks.