Since the escalation of Israel’s military operations in Gaza in October last year, the situation in Lebanon has become increasingly dire. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 3,102 people, with 13,819 others wounded. These figures reflect the devastating toll of the violence, which has intensified as Israel has been engaged in military confrontations with Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group allied with Hamas.
Expansion of the Conflict to Southern Lebanon
The violence between Israel and Hezbollah has been particularly severe since Israel expanded its operations from Gaza into southern Lebanon in September of this year. The violence has since escalated into a full-scale war, as both sides exchange missile strikes and air raids across the region. On Thursday, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health reported that Israeli airstrikes killed at least 52 people and injured 161 in the past 24 hours alone.
Among the casualties were five Malaysian peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), as well as three Lebanese soldiers and three Lebanese civilians. The attack took place in Sidon, a major city in southern Lebanon. The United Nations force, tasked with maintaining peace along the Israel-Lebanon border, issued a statement condemning the attack and called for a halt to actions that put civilians and peacekeepers at risk.
UNIFIL’s Role and the Escalating Tensions
UNIFIL and other UN observer groups such as UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organization) have been stationed in southern Lebanon for decades to monitor hostilities between Israel and Lebanon. These forces are responsible for overseeing the Blue Line, a demarcation line drawn by the UN in May 2000 to separate the two countries. However, with the intensification of the conflict, UN peacekeepers have become targets themselves.
Imran Khan, reporting for Al Jazeera from Beirut, highlighted the significance of the attack on the UNIFIL checkpoint in the Awali River area. “The Awali checkpoint is one of the places where Israel issues a forced evacuation order,” Khan said. He pointed out that the Israeli military is also bombing the very checkpoints it has designated as evacuation points, raising grave concerns for UN peacekeepers in the region, especially as the area has been attacked nearly 20 times since Israel’s ground invasion began.
Impact on Beirut and Southern Suburbs
In addition to the attacks on southern Lebanon, Israel also bombarded areas of Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah. “Death has become a matter of luck. We can either die or survive,” said Ramzi Zaiter, a resident of southern Beirut, in an interview with AFP. The ongoing Israeli airstrikes have made life in these areas increasingly perilous for civilians.
The violence escalated following Hezbollah’s missile attacks on Israeli military sites. On Wednesday, Hezbollah targeted a military base near Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport, and on Thursday, it attacked the Stella Maris naval base located northwest of Haifa. In response, the Israeli military reported that around 40 projectiles were intercepted as they crossed into northern Israel from Lebanon. The military also noted that in the past weeks, five Israeli soldiers had been killed and 16 wounded in combat in southern Lebanon.
Preservation of Lebanon’s Cultural Heritage
In the midst of the ongoing conflict, Lebanese lawmakers have called for international efforts to protect the country’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, many of which are located in areas now under heavy bombardment. Lebanon is home to several UNESCO-listed landmarks, including the ancient Roman ruins in Baalbek and Tyre, both of which are under Hezbollah’s influence.
On Thursday, more than 100 Lebanese lawmakers sent a letter to the United Nations urging the preservation of these historic sites, which are at risk due to the escalation of violence. The letter, addressed to UNESCO’s leadership, emphasized the destruction of cultural heritage caused by Israel’s airstrikes. In Baalbek, for example, Israeli strikes on Wednesday destroyed a heritage house and damaged a historic hotel near the city’s Roman temples.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, has also called for an immediate ceasefire to protect the country’s cultural heritage, particularly in Baalbek and Tyre. “Israel has caused grave human rights violations and atrocities,” Mikati said in a statement. His government is seeking international support to safeguard these invaluable landmarks.
Diplomatic Efforts and International Reactions
As the conflict shows no signs of abating, some in Lebanon are hopeful that a change in U.S. leadership, with Donald Trump’s victory in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, might lead to a shift in policy. “Many believe that no significant diplomatic efforts will take place until Trump, the U.S. president-elect, assumes office in January,” said Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut. This speculation suggests that Lebanon may be pinning hopes on a new U.S. administration to mediate a ceasefire or bring about a reduction in hostilities.
