Peace in southern Lebanon remains elusive — Anadolu Agency
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said that peace in the south of the country remains elusive, and that political will, commitment and decisions by the parties are needed for a final end to the conflict. This was reported by Anadolu Agency, citing a UNIFIL statement issued on the occasion of the International Day of Peace, observed annually on September 21.
The ceremony took place on the evening of September 21 at the mission’s headquarters in Naqoura, southern Lebanon. UNIFIL stressed that peacekeepers can help restore stability, prevent misunderstandings and reduce the risk of escalation, but cannot replace the political decisions needed to bring the conflict to a final end.
The role of peacekeepers
UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Diodato Abagnara said that peace is a constant responsibility, not an issue addressed once a year. According to him, peacekeepers patrol, maintain communication channels between the parties to reduce the risk of misunderstandings and escalation, and cooperate with the Lebanese Armed Forces, which are assuming greater responsibility in the south of the country.
Abagnara noted that the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 remains the goal and the foundation for lasting peace and stability in southern Lebanon. The document was adopted in August 2006 after the 33-day war between the Israeli army and Hezbollah. The resolution provides for a complete cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, as well as the absence of weapons and armed personnel in the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River, except for the Lebanese army and UNIFIL.
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Humanitarian consequences of the conflict
The UN mission said that the current conflict has forced thousands of people to leave their homes, and many of them remain displaced. According to UNIFIL, the hostilities have disrupted people’s ability to earn a living, caused significant destruction of housing and infrastructure, and resulted in civilian deaths and injuries.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks since March 2 have claimed at least 4,386 lives, injured 12,407 people and forced more than one million people to leave their homes. The attacks continued despite a U.S.-mediated framework agreement signed on June 26, which provided for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Lebanese territory in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of Hezbollah.
This year’s observance of the International Day of Peace was UNIFIL’s last before the mission’s mandate ends at the end of 2026. The UN Security Council decided in 2025 to terminate the mission.
