The UN observer mission UNIFIL is temporarily suspending its patrols in the border area between Israel and Lebanon due to the increased danger to its personnel. The risk posed by mutual fire between Israel’s army and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia means that the UN peacekeepers must remain in their bases, a UN spokesman told journalists on Monday. Some civilian employees of the peacekeeping mission and their families have been sent to the capital Beirut further north, where the danger is lower.
Israel’s military and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon have been fighting for months in the border region between the two countries, which has intensified significantly in recent days and weeks. Israel’s latest attacks, which left hundreds dead and even more injured on Monday, are the most serious in almost two decades and are fueling fears of an uncontrollable escalation in the region.
The UN observer mission UNIFIL has been monitoring the border area between Israel and Lebanon since 1978. In August, three UN peacekeepers were slightly injured in an explosion near their vehicle in southern Lebanon. The mission – one of the oldest active missions within the UN – comprises around 10,000 soldiers and 800 civilians. Since the mission began almost 50 years ago, more than 300 peacekeepers have lost their lives.
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