IDF soldiers accuse UN peacekeepers of enabling Hezbollah terrorists amid increasing cease-fire violations

In southern Lebanon, Israeli forces confront entrenched Hezbollah positions and question UNIFIL’s ability to enforce its mandate even before the cease-fire agreement was drawn up.

Efrat Lachter is an investigative reporter and war correspondent. Her work has taken her to 40 countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and Afghanistan. She is a recipient of the 2024 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalism. Lachter can be followed on X @efratlachter.

On Monday, Hezbollah launched two projectiles at Mount Dov, alleging Israeli cease-fire violations. Responding to the launches, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in Hebrew on X: "Hezbollah’s fire toward Mount Dov constitutes a serious violation of the cease-fire, and Israel will respond forcefully. We are determined to continue enforcing the cease-fire and to respond to any violation by Hezbollah-whether minor or severe."

The cease-fire agreement is being implemented under a five-nation monitoring committee led by the U.S. to oversee the de-escalation process - an arrangement that U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein has referred to as a "game-changer" in addressing longstanding limitations.