Israel-Hamas war: UN interim force in Lebanon worries about regional escalation
While the war still rages in Gaza, the region is suspended from Iran's retaliation following the attack attributed to Israel carried out on the Iranian consulate in Damascus in Syria. On the blue line that separates Lebanon from Israel, tensions are still very high between the powerful Shiite party Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, and Israel. UNIFIL, the United Nations interim force in Lebanon which is deployed there, is worried about a regional escalation.
Israeli bombing on the village of Kfarkila in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel, February 8, 2024. © Rabih Daher / Reuters
By: RFI Follow
Advertisement
Read more
With our correspondent in Beirut,
Sophie Guignon
Some 10,500 peacekeepers from 48 countries are deployed between the Litani River and the Blue Line, which marks the border between
Lebanon
and
Israel
. For Andrea Tenenti, spokesperson for UNIFIL, the
United Nations peacekeeping mission
, clashes between
Hezbollah
and Israel are increasingly unpredictable and dangerous.
“
This escalation can easily lead to miscalculations that could potentially trigger a much broader conflict that no one wants
,” he analyzes.
Also listenLebanon: “Hezbollah holds the decision of war and peace, it decides our future”
A patrol from UNIFIL, the UN force in Lebanon, in southern Lebanon, March 2, 2024. © AFP
For an immediate ceasefire
An explosive situation, especially since
October 7, 2023
, the communication channels that existed between Lebanon and Israel via UNIFIL have been broken. Every six weeks, meetings between the Lebanese and Israeli authorities took place under the aegis of UNIFIL.
“
Since the start of the conflict,”
continues Andrea Tenenti, “
we have not held a tripartite meeting. The tripartite meetings were probably the most important mechanism we had for building trust. Two countries which were still at war, which refused to speak to each other, could come to this meeting to discuss. So we were able to build on that. »
Hoping to bring the belligerents back to the negotiating table, UNIFIL is calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Read also South Lebanon: three UN soldiers and a Lebanese injured in an explosion attributed to Israel
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your inbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
Share :
Continue reading on the same themes:
Lebanon
UN
Israel
Israelo-Palestinian conflict
Gaza
Palestinian territories
Hezbollah