On 6 June 2024 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an urgent ceasefire in the armed conflict on the Lebanese frontier with Israel between the armed forces of Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah.
Nearly a month later, the situation in southern Lebanon remains extremely dangerous. The Israeli government has positioned an increasing number of troops along its border with Lebanon, while the Hezbollah continues its nearly daily attacks with drones. Already 100,000 Israelis and an equal number of Lebanese have been forced to leave their homes.
The Israeli-Hezbollah conflict is colored by two other conflicts in the area, and there is a real danger that violence may spread. Hezbollah has stated that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is a precondition for stopping its attacks.
The other regional conflict is the Syrian civil war which began after the government of President Bashar al-Assad violently repressed civilian protests in 2011 leading to a large number of internally displaced people and some five milion refugees, most to neighboring countries. While the fighting in Syria has lessened in the past few years,parts of the country - such as the Idib region - remains outside of Syrian government control. In addition, there are Turkish, Russian, and Syrian Kurdish militias active in the country.
Conflict reduction measures must be undertaken by Lebanese non-governmental organizations as the current Lebanese government is very divided and cannot confront Hezbollah directly. There is the United Nations Interim Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with some 10,000 "Blue Helmits". They have been there since 2006, and in the past have helped to avert armed conflits. However, they seem powerless to prevent escalation in the current conflict and are not able to act on the Israeli side of the frontier.
There may be possibilities for Lebanese peace teams to undertake non-violent interventions as they are sensitive to culturally appropriate practices. There may be ways to create opportunities for dialogue. However, there are real risks in this politically tense environment. Given the scope and dangers of the conflict, there is a need to provide resources in both people and finance for such peace teams.
René Wadlow, Association of World Citizens
#The_UN_Goals #peace #together
