Israel’s defence minister has made clear that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will continue their ground operation in southern Lebanon and will not withdraw. As the Guardian reports, the army will also not allow the return of the population to the contested areas. The announcement came after Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend the ceasefire.
The ceasefire had previously stalled because Hezbollah refused to consent. The commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Esmail Qaani, stated according to Iranian media that Hezbollah demands a full Israeli withdrawal to pre-war positions. Qaani was quoted as saying: “Supporting the resistance in Lebanon is the duty of all of us, and expelling Israel from the region is an achievable goal for Muslims.”
Meanwhile, a Serbian UN peacekeeper was killed in an attack on a United Nations base in Lebanon. Milovan Jovanović, a member of the Serbian armed forces, succumbed to injuries sustained from a projectile impact on the base. After initial treatment at the base hospital, he was airlifted to the University Medical Centre in Beirut, where he died around 4:00 a.m. local time.
The United States had previously attempted to remove obstacles to an agreement with Iran that would also stabilize the situation in Lebanon. US Donald Trump is seeking a deal with Tehran that could de-escalate the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. However, the latest escalation shows how fragile the ceasefire remains.
Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, initially rejected the new ceasefire agreement. The militia demands a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon before agreeing to a permanent truce. Israel, on the other hand, insists on a security zone along the border and rejects a withdrawal without concrete security guarantees.
The death of the Serbian peacekeeper highlights the ongoing danger for the UN mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The Blue Helmets have been stationed in southern Lebanon for decades to monitor the border with Israel. They repeatedly find themselves caught in the crossfire and fall victim to attacks.
Source: www.theguardian.com
