Yesterday, the Israeli army informed UNIFIL that it would carry out an "air activity" to drop what it said was a "non-toxic chemical substance" over areas near the Blue Line (withdrawal line).

UNIFIL stated in a press release that the Israeli army told them they "must stay away and remain under covered areas," which forced them to cancel more than ten activities.

The statement indicated that "the peacekeepers were unable to carry out normal operations along about one-third of the Blue Line and could not resume their regular activities until more than nine hours later. They assisted the Lebanese Armed Forces in collecting samples for testing to verify their toxicity level."

UNIFIL considered "this activity unacceptable and in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701." It also noted that "the deliberate and planned actions by the Israeli Defense Forces not only limited the peacekeepers’ ability to carry out their assigned activities but could also potentially endanger their health and that of civilians. It also raised concerns about the effects of this unknown chemical substance on local agricultural land and how it could affect civilians’ return to their homes and livelihoods in the long term."

This is not the first time the Israeli army has dropped unknown chemical substances from its planes over Lebanon, according to UNIFIL, which confirmed that it "continues to remind the Israeli Defense Forces that aerial flights over Lebanon constitute a violation of Resolution 1701, and that any activity endangering peacekeepers and civilians is of serious concern."

UNIFIL also called on Israel to "cease all such activities and cooperate to support the stability we are all working to achieve." Earlier today, the Israeli army announced it had targeted a vehicle on the Zahrani highway, near the town of Ansariyeh.

(UN Security Council Resolution 1701 ended the 2006 Lebanon war, instituting a ceasefire, governing the disarmament of armed groups in Lebanon, and detailing formal respect for Lebanese sovereignty.)