Recent events in southern Lebanon have cast a dark shadow over the role of UN peacekeepers in the region.
The Israeli military fired at the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headquarters and positions in southern Lebanon, injuring two members of the peacekeeping force as Israel presses on with its assault on Hezbollah.
Israeli military claimed the attack, adding that it instructed the UN forces in the area to remain in protected spaces, after which the Israeli forces opened fire.
Israel’s action drew widespread criticism from the international community and raised concerns over the safety of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.
Speaking at the UN Security Council, UN peacekeeping chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix averred that the safety and security of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon are “increasingly in jeopardy” and operational activities have virtually come to a halt since September 23, 2024.
He stated that peacekeepers have been confined to their bases with significant periods of time in shelter, adding that UNIFIL was ready to support all efforts towards a diplomatic solution.
“UNIFIL is mandated to support the implementation of resolution 1701, but we must insist that it is for the parties themselves to implement the provisions of this resolution.”
Jean-Pierre Lacroix
The essence of peacekeeping lies in the ability to operate safely and impartially.
UNIFIL’s mandate, outlined in Security Council resolution 1701, is to assist the Lebanese army in maintaining a secure and demilitarized southern border.
Yet, when peacekeepers themselves become targets, the integrity of this mission is fundamentally undermined.
This situation raises critical questions about the feasibility of UN operations in conflict areas. If UN peacekeepers cannot operate without fear of being attacked, their role as neutral mediators is severely compromised.
The implications extend beyond Lebanon, signaling a troubling trend where the safety of peacekeepers is increasingly at risk, making future interventions in conflict zones even more challenging.
According to Rob Geist Pinfold, lecturer in international peace and security at Durham University in the UK, Israel’s attacks against UNIFIL aim to put pressure on the peacekeeping mission to leave southern Lebanon.
Pinfold opined that Israel sees UNIFIL not as someone to fight but as an impediment – as people getting in their way – so they are trying to squeeze them and force them to withdraw, noting how Israel feels the UN mission failed to secure the border from nonstate armed groups since its establishment in 2006.
He said that should southern Lebanon be free of peacekeepers and civilians, Israel would have easier control over the territory and, therefore, would stay “for as long as they want until they get the deal they want.”
He stated that removing UNIFIL peacekeepers would also reduce the risk of killing an international soldier, something that would “create political pressure to stop Israeli operations.” “Israel wants to see UNIFIL gone and without anybody dying,” he added.
Israel Determined To Ramp Up Its Ground Offensive On Lebanon
Meanwhile, an Israeli attack in Beirut killed at least 22 people and wounded 117 others, as strikes move away from Hezbollah strongholds in the city’s suburbs and into the heart of the Lebanese capital.
Wafiq Safa, the chief of Hezbollah’s liaison and coordination unit, which works with Lebanese security agencies, was reportedly the target as Israeli fighter jets bombed a densely-packed neighbourhood in the heart of Beirut.
However, it failed to assassinate the Hezbollah figure.
The strike was the third to hit central Beirut since the start of the Israeli military bombing campaign in late September.
Most Israeli attacks have been concentrated in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, and where the Lebanese armed group has its headquarters.
Military and Security Analyst, Elijah Magnier said that the attack demonstrates that there are “no redlines” for where Israel will strike in the Lebanese capital.
Magnier said that in most cases, there are dozens of civilians that are killed also in what the Israelis call “collateral damage.”
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