Destruction, displacement and widespread panic have returned to Lebanon, senior United Nations officials in the region detailed today, as the Security Council convened an emergency meeting following the deaths of three peacekeepers and delegates traded accusations over who was responsible.
As war continues to rage in the Middle East, today's meeting, requested by France, focused on the situation in Lebanon, where clashes between Israel Defense Forces and Hizbullah are intensifying, despite the ceasefire agreement of November 2024. Since 1978, the UN has maintained the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) - first mandated to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and later to accompany and support the Lebanese Armed Forces as they deploy throughout the south, including along the Blue Line.
Updating the Council on recent events, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said Hizbullah is conducting daily strikes with rockets, missiles and drones at targets in Israel and the occupied Syrian Golan.
And "politicians in Israel now openly speak of the intention of an extended so-called 'security or buffer zone', with the destruction of villages along the Blue Line and several bridges across the Litani River," he said. He also noted that the Israel Defense Forces have issued displacement orders for UNIFIL's area of operations.
On 30 March, he said two Indonesian peacekeepers lost their lives in an explosion that destroyed their vehicle, while two days prior, another Indonesian peacekeeper was killed in an explosion inside a UNIFIL base. The Mission is also facing an increase in "denials of freedom of movement and aggressive behaviour", he said.
On 28 March, the Israel Defense Forces, "at a newly established checkpoint", fired warning shots and later, a main armament round at a UNIFIL patrol. "We say it clearly, and there has been a need to say it far too often: Peacekeepers must never be a target," he stressed.
'Heavy' Exchanges across Blue Line
Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, pointed to "heavy exchanges of fire across the Blue Line", strikes across Lebanon and a deeper Israeli troop deployment inside that country. As of 30 March, Lebanese authorities reported more than 1,240 killed and 3,680 wounded, with over 1.1 million displaced.
On 29 March, he continued, Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced the expansion of the security buffer zone to "permanently neutralize the threat of invasion" and push anti-tank fire away from northern Israel. Lebanon has condemned continued violations of its sovereignty, and reaffirmed readiness for "direct negotiations" under international auspices, while Hizbullah's rejection of the Lebanese Government's decisions is heightening risk.
Civilians Behind the Numbers
Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefed the Council from Beirut, where "even now, sounds of the air strikes in the south Beirut suburbs can be heard, with the hum of drones in the surrounding neighbourhoods". The 1,240 fatalities over the past four weeks include 87 women, 124 children and 52 first responders, he said, while 200,000 people have crossed into Syria over the past month. Detailing conversations with Lebanese and Syrian families, he said: "Above all, they asked that their suffering not be reduced to numbers."
Even as he called for contributions to the $308 million Flash Appeal, and noted the delivery of 2.8 million hot and cold meals, and other supplies, he urged the Council to consider a series of far-reaching questions: How can civilians be protected and how can the international community collectively prepare for "a new addition to a list of occupied territories"? "These questions are daunting, but precisely the kind that the Security Council and the United Nations must confront," he concluded.
'Lebanon Did Not Choose This War'
"The attacks on peacekeepers are attacks on this Council itself," said Lebanon's delegate, who stressed that his people "did not choose this war". Condemning Israel's strikes on civilians and infrastructure, he added that Hizbullah "unilaterally decided to enter into a war at a time when the Lebanese Government was open to dialogue".
He condemned statements by Israeli ministers about occupying up to the Litani River and treating it as a new border, also calling on Iran to cease its interference in the internal affairs of other States. "We strongly condemn the threats by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to target American universities in the Middle East," he added.
The meeting was requested by the representatives of France and Indonesia, who both condemned the attacks on UNIFIL peacekeepers. The former said Israeli soldiers demonstrated aggressive behaviour and intimidation against the French contingent's personnel in Naqoura, even though deconfliction procedures had been duly respected. He asked Israel to provide "immediate and concrete guarantees", adding that "every day, UNIFIL blue helmets face risks of shooting, mines and IEDs [improvised explosive devices]". Israel and Hizbullah must respect their safety.
Indonesia Demands UN Investigation, Rejects 'Excuses from Israel'
Indonesia's delegate, expressing the "grief, anger and frustration" of his 285 million compatriots, said: "We cannot accept these killings." "Some detractors have argued that the fallen soldiers were positioned in a zone of active war," he noted, but this framing overlooks who is responsible for creating and sustaining these active hostilities. The current escalation did not rise out of a vacuum, he pointed out, condemning Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon. "We demand investigation by the United Nations, not excuses from Israel," he said.
The representative of the United States, Council President for March, speaking in his national capacity, however, asked the world "to pause and to reserve judgment until the United Nations can fully investigate and fully assess the circumstances of these tragic incidents". The Council must recognize that "terrorists have no respect for the norms of international law", he said, adding that Hizbullah has "a long history of attacking peacekeepers and of firing on Israeli civilians from proximity of UNIFIL and peacekeeping positions, inviting retaliation".
Since 1978, 300 UNIFIL peacekeepers have been killed and "the Council must think very carefully about the effectiveness of this effort", he added. It is necessary to refocus international efforts on supporting Lebanese State institutions, reducing risk to peacekeepers and pressing Hizbullah and Iran to cease their destabilizing activities, he said.
'No Desire' to Remain in Lebanon, Israel says, Blames Hizbullah for Attacks
Along similar lines, Israel's delegate said that Hizbullah was deliberately operating near UN positions and placing them in the direct line of fire. On 30 March, "we can confirm that UNIFIL forces were struck by explosive devices deployed by Hizbullah in an incident near Bani Hai", he said, adding: "The shelling of the UNIFIL position at Chital Castle on 29 March, in which peacekeepers were tragically killed, was carried out by Hizbullah. The IDF did not fire in the immediate vicinity of the position."
"Let me be clear… we have no desire to remain or operate in Lebanon," he added. "Our goal is to protect our communities and to push the threat away from our border." The Council must designate Hizbullah a terrorist organization, demand the Lebanese authorities fulfil their obligations and hold Iran accountable. "When others fail, Israel acts," he said.
Several speakers, including the representatives of Panama, Russian Federation and Latvia, stressed the need to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL peacekeepers. Poland's delegate called for the development of clear operational guidelines for the implementation of the Mission's mandate and for ensuring the safety of peacekeepers in Lebanon.
The representative of Pakistan said these are not isolated incidents, but part of a disturbing pattern of attacks on UNIFIL. "This incident must also be viewed within the broader context," he said, noting that Israel's continued military actions in southern Lebanon have resulted in hundreds of deaths and widespread destruction.
'Lebanon Must Not Become Another Gaza,' China Says, amid Concerns over Stated Border Move to Litani River
"Lebanon must not become another Gaza," China's delegate said, calling on Israel to immediately withdraw all its forces from that country. Denmark's delegate expressed concern about recent statements by the Israeli Finance Minister about the intention to move the Lebanon-Israel border to the Litani River. "This area makes up about one tenth of Lebanon's territory and is home to hundreds of thousands of Lebanese and includes cities with a rich and diverse cultural heritage," she said, strongly urging Israel to refrain from any large-scale ground invasion or long-term occupation of Lebanese territory.
She also added that Hizbullah's continued attacks against Israel, "which have dragged Lebanon into yet another unwanted war and must stop immediately". The representative of the United Kingdom said the actions of this "prescribed terrorist group at the instigation of the Iranian regime" are once again drawing Lebanon into a conflict in which the Lebanese people want no part.
Greece's delegate said these actions "undermine the Lebanese Government's efforts to restore its exclusive control over arms across the country". Bahrain's delegate, meanwhile, expressed appreciation for the Lebanese Government's clear position in rejecting and condemning the attacks carried out by the group.
The representative of Colombia said that "the current situation in Lebanon is not occurring in a vacuum". The Council must not rely on partial and selective approaches and must consider the underlying causes and broader regional dynamics. The representative of Somalia, speaking also for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia, added that "Lebanon must not become an arena for proxy confrontations or broader geopolitical tensions".
