UN stands firm: UNIFIL troops to remain on Israel-Lebanon border

The United Nations has rejected Israel's request to evacuate the UNIFIL mission troops who patrol the border between Israel and Lebanon, the Spanish newspaper "El Pais" reported on Friday.

The Israeli army, which is conducting operations in southern Lebanon, asked the UN to evacuate more than 20 UNIFIL observation posts. It warned that it could not guarantee the safety of the soldiers, according to the newspaper, citing UN sources.

"Although military circles interpret this message as a veiled threat, the United Nations has decided to maintain its forward positions." Still, it reduced the number of deployed personnel to a minimum and heightened security measures," writes "El Pais."

Over 650 Spanish soldiers play a significant role among the "blue helmets" in Lebanon, and since 2022, Spanish General Aroldo Lazaro has been the commander of UNIFIL. At the end of September, Spain's Defense Minister Margarita Robles stated that the soldiers in Lebanon had reduced their activities to a minimum due to the ongoing Israeli shelling.

"The withdrawal of the blue helmets from these observation posts would leave the international community without information," reported military sources cited by the newspaper.

Although the government in Madrid is not currently considering withdrawing troops from Lebanon, on Thursday, nearly 250 out of approximately 1,000 Spanish citizens present in this Middle Eastern country were evacuated.