UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army uncovered a Hezbollah tunnel and explosives near Al-Qussair, reigniting questions over the peacekeepers’ effectiveness as Israel warns of ongoing terror build-ups.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced Wednesday that its peacekeepers, in coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), discovered a Hezbollah tunnel and unexploded munitions near the town of Al-Qussair in southern Lebanon.
The find was immediately turned over to the LAF, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which mandates UNIFIL’s role in stabilizing the border region after the 2006 Lebanon War. UNIFIL stressed it “continues to patrol, monitor, and work with the LAF to help bring back stability and security to the area.”
The discovery underscores the fragile situation in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah has been rebuilding its military infrastructure despite sustaining heavy losses during last year’s conflict with Israel. Although a ceasefire was reached in November, Israel continues to strike Hezbollah positions, accusing the group of repeated violations of the agreement.
UNIFIL, tasked with serving as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon, has long faced criticism. Both Israel and the United States accuse the peacekeeping mission of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah’s entrenchment along the border, enabling the terror group to stockpile rockets and dig tunnels under UN noses.
Tensions spiked in October 2024, when the IDF revealed that 25 rockets and missiles had been fired at Israeli troops and civilians from Hezbollah compounds positioned alarmingly close to UNIFIL posts. One such barrage killed two IDF soldiers. Israel retaliated with strikes near UN compounds—after warning the peacekeepers to evacuate—but UNIFIL accused Israel of deliberately targeting its forces.
The latest tunnel discovery will likely intensify scrutiny of UNIFIL’s mission, caught between international mandates, Hezbollah’s aggression, and Israel’s security concerns. For Jerusalem, the find only reinforces a long-standing claim: Hezbollah continues to rearm and regroup under the peacekeepers’ watch.
