Indian troops with United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to stay put in south Lebanon amid Israeli ground incursion

Indian UNIFIL contingent remains in position amid Israel's limited incursion into south Lebanon, ensuring safety and peacekeeping duties.

The Indian contingent in the United Nations Interim Force in South Lebanon (UNIFIL) will be staying put and performing its duties in the face of Israel’s decision to enter the country amid escalating tensions in the region.

“The (Indian) battalion of more than 900 people is holding its position and everybody is safe,” a UNIFIL source in south Lebanon told PTI over the phone Tuesday (October 1, 2024).

Israel-Hezbollah war LIVE Updates | Israel carries out ground operation in southern Lebanon; IDF calls it limited, localised

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in the early hours of Tuesday (October 1, 2024) that it had launched a “targeted and limited” incursion into south Lebanon several hours ago focused on Hezbollah targets and infrastructure in several Lebanese villages along the border that posed an immediate threat to Israeli towns on the other side of the Blue Line.

“Ground troops operating inside southern Lebanon were being assisted by air and artillery forces,” the IDF said.

Israel’s operation is believed to be aimed at pushing Hezbollah north in line with the UNSC resolution 1701, which requires that the Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers be the only armed force south of the Litani River.

UNIFIL confirmed that the IDF notified it of its intention to undertake “limited” ground incursions into Lebanon, asserting that despite the developments in Lebanon, its peacekeepers will remain in position. It also urged all actors to step back from the escalatory acts.