UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon crossfire struggling

UN BASE 964 — AFP

On the deserted border between Lebanon and Israel, Spanish UN peacekeepers have for more than 10 months effectively been caught in a war zone.

Several Blue Helmets have been wounded in the crossfire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement, which has also left dozens of Lebanese civilians dead in fallout from Israel’s war on Gaza.

“Sometimes we need to shelter because of the shelling… sometimes even inside the bunkers,” said Alvaro Gonzalez Gavalda, a Blue Helmet at Base 964 of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

To reach the base, journalists escorted in a UNIFIL convoy passed through virtually deserted villages. Only the occasional grocer or automotive repair shop were still open along the road where fields have been left charred by bombardment.

– Keeping watch –

From a watchtower, binoculars help the peacekeepers see further — into the Golan Heights annexed by Israel. The area has been a frequent target of Hezbollah fire.

Following October 7, Hezbollah opened what it calls a “support front”, launching rockets and other fire from southern Lebanon against Israeli military positions.

The Security Council first established UNIFIL in 1978 after Israel invaded south Lebanon. Its mission was expanded after the 2006 war.

Now, with fears of a wider regional war in which Lebanon would be on the front line, the UN’s Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said UNIFIL’s role is “more important than ever”.

Spain’s contingent of 650 soldiers, based at several positions, are among around 10,000 troops from 49 countries in the mission.

UNIFIL’s mandate expires at the end of August and Lebanon has asked for its renewal.