Preventing a Protracted War
Armored vehicles with the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission in Lebanon patrol the Marjayoun area in southern Lebanon on Oct. 24.AFP via Getty Images
An Israeli strike killed three Lebanese soldiers on Thursday while they were reportedly trying to evacuate wounded civilians from Yater village, near the two countries’ embattled border. This is the second time that Israel has killed Lebanese soldiers this week.
“Israel must take the necessary steps to avoid civilian casualties and not endanger [United Nations] peacekeepers or Lebanese Armed Forces,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Thursday, adding that the United States does not wish to see the conflict become a protracted campaign. The United Nations has accused Israel of deliberately targeting its peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.
More than 2,000 people have been killed since Israeli operations in southern Lebanon intensified last month, displacing more than 1 million others and spawning a devastating humanitarian crisis. Israel has issued evacuation orders for much of the region, including the ancient port city of Tyre, where Israeli attacks on Wednesday injured at least 16 people. Until recently, Tyre was a hub for people fleeing Israeli bombardments in other parts of southern Lebanon. Israel’s bombing campaign has caused more damage to buildings between Oct. 2 to 14 than an entire year of cross-border fighting with Hezbollah, according to satellite-based radar data seen by the BBC.
According to the U.N., Lebanon requires $426 million in humanitarian aid to support its displaced people. Paris reiterated this plea with a Lebanon-focused conference this week, during which French President Emmanuel Macron pledged $100 million to support Lebanon and promised to support a plan to help recruit at least 6,000 Lebanese soldiers and deploy another 8,000 Lebanese troops to the southern region.
“In the immediate term, massive aid is needed for the Lebanese population, both for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the war and for the communities hosting them,” Macron said on Thursday. This week, Germany offered around $103.9 million in assistance to Lebanon and neighboring Syria, and Italy announced an additional $10.8 million for Lebanon.
Blinken traveled to the Middle East this week to discuss ending hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon border, as well as a possible cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza. At a joint press conference with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Thursday, Blinken announced that negotiators were planning to convene in the coming days to discuss a truce in Gaza. Israeli officials have expressed interest in an Egyptian proposal that would offer a two-week pause in fighting for the release of just six Israeli captives. However, Blinken said it is unclear whether Hamas is “prepared to engage” with mediators following the death of its leader, Yahya Sinwar, last week.
Later on Thursday, Israel’s military chief said in a video statement that “there’s a possibility of reaching a sharp conclusion” to the fighting in Lebanon now that the military has “thoroughly dismantled Hezbollah’s senior chain of command.”