Tenenti told the UN news website of the difficult circumstances under which the troops are operating, following reports of several violations and attacks on their facilities.

UNIFIL’s monitoring capabilities have been limited; however, they still maintain surveillance and observation, the official detailed.

“We are still able to maintain limited monitoring of operations but the foremost issue is to be able to help and assist the local communities and the people who are trapped in the villages in southern Lebanon, who are in need of food and water,” the authority said.

Tenenti reaffirmed the UN’s intention to maintain the essential task of the Force, which was mandated by the Security Council and remains in the area at the request of the Lebanese Government.

“A member State cannot ask the international community to move the force from an area that has been ruled by the Security Council,” the spokesperson noted. In the authority’s view, it is paramount to stay and do everything possible to assist and monitor.

Since past week, the organization has been demanding respect for its Interim Force while the Israeli authorities have been pushing for its departure and intensifying their offensive.

Ied/omr/jha/ebr