Lebanon’s prime minister visited on Wednesday that United Nations peacekeepers in the country’s south near the border with Israel, describing the presence of the force in the volatile area as a necessity.
The visit by Prime Minister Hassan Diab comes amid the backdrop of a war of words between Israeli and Lebanese officials, including the powerful Hezbollah terrorist group, over the mandate of the UN force, known as UNIFIL. The force has been deployed in southern Lebanon since an Israeli invasion in 1978.
Israel is calling for major changes in the way the mission in southern Lebanon operates on the ground, demanding that it has access to all sites and freedom of movement and that it report back to the United Nations Security Council if it is being blocked.