UNIFIL says Israeli‑placed T‑shaped concrete barriers crossed the Blue Line near Yaroun, making over 4,000 m² of Lebanese land inaccessible. UN surveys in October and a November follow‑up identified the encroachment and notified the Israel Defense Forces, which dispute the finding and say the structure was built beginning in 2022. The UN has asked Israel to relocate the wall. The episode risks increasing tensions amid a fragile, nearly year‑old ceasefire with Hezbollah.
UN: Israeli Concrete Barriers Cross Into Lebanon Near Yaroun, UNIFIL Says — IDF Disputes Claim
UNIFIL says Israeli‑placed T‑shaped concrete barriers crossed the Blue Line near Yaroun, making over 4,000 m² of Lebanese land inaccessible. UN surveys in October and a November follow‑up identified the encroachment and notified the Israel Defense Forces, which dispute the finding and say the structure was built beginning in 2022. The UN has asked Israel to relocate the wall. The episode risks increasing tensions amid a fragile, nearly year‑old ceasefire with Hezbollah.
02:08 AM, 11/15/2025Conflict
UNIFIL says Israeli concrete barriers cross the Blue Line near Yaroun
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has reported that Israeli forces installed T‑shaped concrete barriers in southern Lebanon that extend across the Blue Line — the UN‑demarcated frontier between Lebanon and Israel. A UNIFIL survey in October found that a concrete wall built by Israeli forces had crossed the Blue Line to the south‑west of the Lebanese town of Yaroun, the mission said.
UNIFIL added that the encroachment has rendered more than 4,000 square metres of Lebanese land inaccessible to local residents, and that the Israeli army has been instructed to relocate the wall. In November, UN peacekeepers observed additional construction activity involving T‑shaped barriers in the same area; a follow‑up survey again confirmed that part of the new structure crossed the Blue Line. UNIFIL has formally notified the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of the violation.
The IDF rejected the UNIFIL finding on Friday, maintaining that the barrier — construction of which began in 2022, according to Israeli authorities — does not cross the Blue Line. Israel’s army said it was reinforcing the barrier along the border with Lebanon.
What are T‑shaped barriers? These are large, freestanding concrete blocks commonly used by military forces as visual screens and to restrict the movement of vehicles and people.
The incident occurs against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Iranian‑backed Hezbollah militia that has largely held for nearly a year. Both sides continue to exchange accusations: Israel says Hezbollah is regrouping in southern Lebanon, while the Israeli Air Force has carried out near‑daily strikes inside Lebanon.
The situation underscores the risks that localised incidents along the Blue Line can increase tensions and complicate efforts to preserve the ceasefire.
Note: The Blue Line is the UN‑drawn line used to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000; it is not a formal international border but is used to identify any violations or incursions.