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Lebanon Requests Extension of UNIFIL Mandate without Modification

Vehicles belonging to UN peacekeepers drive along a road along the Lebanon-Israel border near the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Kila on September 1, 2019. (AFP)
Vehicles belonging to UN peacekeepers drive along a road along the Lebanon-Israel border near the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Kila on September 1, 2019. (AFP)
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Lebanon Requests Extension of UNIFIL Mandate without Modification

Vehicles belonging to UN peacekeepers drive along a road along the Lebanon-Israel border near the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Kila on September 1, 2019. (AFP)
Vehicles belonging to UN peacekeepers drive along a road along the Lebanon-Israel border near the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Kila on September 1, 2019. (AFP)

Lebanon said on Monday it wanted to extend the mandate of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) without any modifications to its mission.

President Michel Aoun delivered the request during a meeting at the Presidential Palace with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

He also noted the adoption of the UNIFIL budget on June 30, remarking that despite regional tensions, southern Lebanon has been enjoying stability since the July 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Aoun praised the existing cooperation between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL, reiterating his condemnation of Israeli air violations, especially recent ones, through raids launched against Syrian territories from Lebanese airspace.

Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to the full implementation of UN resolution 1701, calling on the UN to compel Israel to also respect it.

For his part, Lacroix stressed that the UN will always stand by Lebanon, adding that UNIFIL will continue to implement resolution 1701, through the existing cooperation between the Lebanese army and international forces.

Lacroix also held talks with parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab.

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Joint Incident Assessment Team Refutes Four Claims Against Coalition Operations in Yemen

The Yemen Incident Assessment Team reviews a number of allegations during a press conference in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
The Yemen Incident Assessment Team reviews a number of allegations during a press conference in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
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Joint Incident Assessment Team Refutes Four Claims Against Coalition Operations in Yemen

The Yemen Incident Assessment Team reviews a number of allegations during a press conference in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
The Yemen Incident Assessment Team reviews a number of allegations during a press conference in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat). 

The Joint Incident Assessment Team (JIAT) in Yemen has refuted four allegations leveled against the Coalition to Support Legitimacy, related to incidents in the provinces of Sanaa, Saada, and Abyan. The findings were presented during a press conference in Riyadh on Wednesday, attended by international media and diplomatic representatives. The team provided satellite imagery, coordinates, and on-site analysis to support its conclusions.

One of the claims addressed was from the Yemeni Human Rights Commission, alleging that Coalition airstrikes targeted the Abyan governorate building in Zinjibar on June 4, 2015. JIAT said field investigations revealed damage consistent with ground fighting, not airstrikes. A review of Coalition air mission records on the date and surrounding days confirmed no operations in the Abyan area, while satellite imagery showed no signs of aerial targeting.

Another claim, issued by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on January 18, 2022, accused the Coalition of partially damaging an emergency ward at a hospital in the Al-Sawad area of Sanhan district, Sanaa, during a January 13 airstrike. JIAT found the area hosts the Al-Sawad military camp and the nearby “Model 48 Hospital,” a site listed on the Coalition’s no-strike list.

Intelligence indicated that the camp housed Houthi weapons and drone facilities. A precision strike was carried out at 1:20 a.m. using guided munitions to minimize collateral damage. Satellite imagery confirmed the strike hit its intended target, with the nearest impact point located 210 meters from the hospital—well outside the blast radius.

Regarding a report of a missile allegedly fired from the border near a home in the village of Al-Malahidh, Haydan district, Saada province on February 23, 2020, JIAT confirmed no Coalition artillery or rocket activity occurred in the area. No evidence or impact data supported the claim.

A final allegation stated that an airstrike hit a farm in Al-Watada, Khawlan district, Sanaa, at 1:00 p.m. on March 3, 2021. JIAT said the claim lacked specific coordinates, and a review of operational records showed no air missions in the area during that time frame.

In all four cases, JIAT concluded there was no evidence to support the claims of unlawful Coalition actions.