JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The chairman of the Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee, Zvi Sukkot, has appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding immediate action against the continued presence of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon(UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon.

The appeal follows a report published by Arutz Sheva claiming that personnel from the UN force are collecting information on IDF movements in southern Lebanon and that, according to the report, the information ultimately reaches the terrorist organization Hezbollah.

In his letter, Sukkot wrote that dozens of UNIFIL positions are deployed along the border region and overlook a significant portion of the routes used by IDF forces in the area. He argued that if the reports are accurate, the situation constitutes a “serious operational threat” that could endanger soldiers’ lives.

“It is unacceptable that an international force that is supposedly operating to maintain stability would in practice become a factor that endangers IDF soldiers,” Sukkot wrote. “If there is even a suspicion that information collected by UNIFIL is reaching Hezbollah, the State of Israel must act immediately to stop it.”

He added:”The lives of our soldiers come before any diplomatic consideration. Anyone who does not prevent terrorism, and certainly anyone who may be assisting it, cannot continue operating in the area.”

Sukkot also argued that over the years UNIFIL has failed to fulfill its mission under UN resolutions and has not prevented Hezbollah’s military buildup in southern Lebanon. According to him, under the current security reality, the force has no practical ability to carry out the mandate it was given.

In his letter, he urged the prime minister to act urgently to prevent the presence of UNIFIL soldiers in the area or, at the very least, to prevent them from collecting any information regarding the location and activities of IDF forces in southern Lebanon.

Last week, Arutz Sheva reported that during a closed session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, IDF representatives acknowledged that UNIFIL collects information about IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon. According to information presented at the discussion, the intelligence gathered is leaking to Hezbollah and poses a genuine security risk to forces on the ground.

The report further stated that in recent months senior IDF officials have warned that the UN force is acting against Israeli military interests and exceeding its authority in the area.

UNIFIL consists of approximately 13,000 peacekeeping troops and was first deployed in southern Lebanon in 1978. In August of last year, the United Nations Security Council extended its mandate in the region through the end of 2026. Under that decision, the UN force is expected to withdraw from Lebanon in 2027.