The war between Israel and Hezbollah is not just a face-to-face confrontation. Besides Lebanese civilians, a third actor is at the heart of the turmoil: the UN. The United Nations has several thousand peacekeepers at the border.
Since 2006, this force, UNIFIL, has had the mandate of controlling the cessation of military activities between the protagonists. This mission was accepted at the time by the Israeli government. But on Sunday October 13, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that UNIFIL step back. He wants his army to be able to maneuver as it wishes on enemy territory. The even passive presence of peacekeepers constitutes an embarrassment. Furthermore, they observe and report what they see to the UN every day, informing the entire international community.
Despite the risks involved, it is important that the “peacekeepers” remain where they are. They indeed represent an obstacle to the all-out war that Benjamin Netanyahu may want to wage. In addition to its airstrikes campaign, the Israeli army is currently restricting itself to incursions into areas controlled by Hezbollah, where it is encountering strong resistance. But it could seek to permanently destroy its enemy’s arsenals and infrastructure, as it did against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. This would lead to a formidable escalation. But this logic must be broken.
“War is an illusion”, recalled Pope Francis on Sunday: illusion of power and security. It alone will never bring lasting peace. The UN must help break the vicious cycle of violence in the Middle East.
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