Lebanese militant group Hezbollah issued instructions to its fighters on Monday, October 7th, 2024, to refrain from targeting Israeli forces near a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) base in the border town of Maroun al-Ras.

The order, announced in a statement broadcast by Al Mayadeen TV channel and attributed to a Hezbollah field commander, accused Israel of using UN peacekeepers as human shields. The statement claimed that Israel was attempting to use UNIFIL forces to cover its failure to advance toward Maroun al-Ras, after repeated failed attempts resulting in significant Israeli casualties.

Since September 23rd, 2024, Israel has launched an extensive and bloody air and ground offensive against Lebanon, including attacks on Beirut, despite international warnings and UN resolutions. Official figures indicate that since the start of the cross-border fighting on October 8th, 2023, Israel's actions have resulted in 2,083 deaths and 9,869 injuries, including a significant number of women and children, and over 1.2 million displaced persons as of Monday afternoon. These figures include 1,251 deaths and 3,618 injuries between October 8th, 2023, and Monday.