An Israeli tank drives through Zawtar al-Sharqiyah village, occupied by Israeli forces, as seen from the southern village of Zawtar al-Gharbieh, Lebanon, Monday, July 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Mustafa Jamalddine)
02 Aug 2026 04:12AM
GENEVA: The United Nations on Saturday (Aug 1) expressed concern over Israel's ongoing demolitionsin southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire in its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah."The scale of the detonations and demolitions taking place in south Lebanon is deeply concerning, with a devastating impact on civilian infrastructure, cultural heritage, and the collective memory of communities," the office of the UN special coordinator for Lebanon said in a statement.The statement comes a day after the Israeli military carried out large overnight detonations near a UNESCO-listed castle in Lebanon.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the army destroyed "terror tunnels in the Beaufort area" using approximately 700 tonnes of explosives.Beaufort castle was added last week to UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday labelled the detonation "an extremely dangerous escalation" and "a direct threat to the process which was launched as part of the framework agreement" reached with Israel during US-sponsored talks last month.Under the Israel-Lebanon deal, Lebanon's army is to disarm Hezbollah and the Israeli military is to withdraw from "pilot zones" where Lebanese forces will subsequently deploy.
