By Nohad Topalian | 2025-02-24

BEIRUT -- Spanish peacekeepers have cleared major obstructions on the road near Khiam, reflecting enhanced cooperation between the Lebanese army and United Nations (UN) as the government works to restore authority in the south.

The January operation deployed protection vehicles, reconnaissance teams and heavy machinery to reopen vital routes in the southeastern town of Khiam, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said January 15.

It was the fourth such mission since the November 27 cessation of hostilities agreement, UNIFIL said.

The expanding presence of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in southern villages is a historic push to restore government control in regions long outside state authority.

LAF forces have conducted raids on 550 sites and 100 weapons depots belonging to Hizbullah, strategy expert Fadi Daoud told Al-Fassel.

"The Lebanese state has pledged to implement international resolutions, primarily UN Security Council Resolution 1701, with the army tasked with implementing all of them in complete cooperation with peacekeeping forces."

"The cooperation is total and comprehensive militarily, security-wise, logistically and in military training," Daoud said.

Protecting returnees

"UNIFIL plays a major role in the south, with each battalion's engineering team cooperating within its geographical scope to remove unexploded mines and shells," said LBC television southern Lebanon correspondent Haidar Hawila.

Teams conduct regular sweeps of damaged properties, fill bomb craters and ensure safe passage for returning civilians, he told Al-Fassel, noting the "enormous" destruction in border villages.

Military experts note that damage was intensified by secondary explosions from weapons caches stored in residential areas, with evidence of Hizbullah arms depots found beneath civilian structures.

UNIFIL's humanitarian support is crucial for returning residents, as they face the complex challenge of both war damage and hazardous weapons storage.

"In coordination with the army, UNIFIL supports residents by providing water tanks, solar energy, medicines, food rations, mobile clinics and other winter and educational supplies," Hawila said.

Since late November, peacekeepers have assisted tens of thousands of residents and returnees across south Lebanon, per UNIFIL.

In a February 10 statement marking Lebanon's new government formation, UNIFIL reaffirmed its support for the LAF's southern redeployment and efforts to extend state authority.

The peacekeeping force, comprising troops from 48 countries, emphasized its commitment to impartially monitor all parties' compliance with UNSCR 1701 and pledged continued collaboration toward "lasting peace and sustainable recovery."

Meeting with mission head Aroldo Lazaro Saenz on February 17, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun underscored the significance of this growing partnership, the National News Agency reported.

"They came to Lebanon to help achieve security and stability in the south and implement international resolutions," Aoun said, describing it as a "noble goal."