UNIFIL Commander Urges Lebanon, Israel to Resume Talks on Blue Line

Vehicles are seen behind the border wall between Israel and Lebanon, as seen from Rosh Hanikra, northern Israel May 4, 2021. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Vehicles are seen behind the border wall between Israel and Lebanon, as seen from Rosh Hanikra, northern Israel May 4, 2021. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
TT

UNIFIL Commander Urges Lebanon, Israel to Resume Talks on Blue Line

Vehicles are seen behind the border wall between Israel and Lebanon, as seen from Rosh Hanikra, northern Israel May 4, 2021. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Vehicles are seen behind the border wall between Israel and Lebanon, as seen from Rosh Hanikra, northern Israel May 4, 2021. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

The head of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon has called on the Lebanese authorities and Israel to resume talks on the technical Blue Line to find agreements on a number of the contentious points along the Line.

Major General Stefano Del Col chaired on Friday this year’s first Tripartite meeting with senior Lebanese and Israeli army officers in Ras Al Naqoura. It was the outgoing UNIFIL head’s last Tripartite meeting.

Addressing both delegations, the UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander reflected on challenges and opportunities he has seen since taking charge of the peacekeeping mission in early August 2018, and on the way forward.

“We must all play our part to move from the technical level towards the higher-level goal of a sustainable peace,” he said. “This is my parting challenge to you all.”

Del Col said UNIFIL’s open line of communications with the parties remains vital, adding that throughout numerous Blue Line incidents, both the Lebanese and Israeli armies remained engaged, providing UNIFIL time and space for de-escalation.

“It is encouraging that you both continued to work closely with UNIFIL throughout each of these incidents to contain the situation and restore stability,” said Del Col. “This demonstrates the critical contribution of our liaison and coordination channels to de-escalate and de-conflict, at the heart of which is our Tripartite forum.”

The UNIFIL Head of Mission also called on the parties to resume the technical Blue Line talks, in order to find agreements on a number of the contentious points along the Blue Line, and to use the Tripartite forum to build on past achievements, and to make progress towards a more stable environment.

Other issues discussed at the meeting included incidents along the Blue Line, airspace violations and serious breaches of the cessation of hostilities in violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701.



Lebanese Air Transport Union Denies Evacuation Rumors at Beirut Airport

Smoke rises in Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, as a plane takes off from Rafik Hariri International Airport, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Hadath, Lebanon, October 8, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises in Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, as a plane takes off from Rafik Hariri International Airport, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Hadath, Lebanon, October 8, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Lebanese Air Transport Union Denies Evacuation Rumors at Beirut Airport

Smoke rises in Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, as a plane takes off from Rafik Hariri International Airport, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Hadath, Lebanon, October 8, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises in Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, as a plane takes off from Rafik Hariri International Airport, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Hadath, Lebanon, October 8, 2024. (Reuters)

The Lebanese Air Transport Union on Wednesday denied rumors that it issued an evacuation request of the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, confirming that airport operations continue without disruption.
The Union denied in a statement “rumors that quoted chairman of the board of directors of the Middle East Airlines as requesting technicians and engineers to evacuate the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut and deport the planes.”
It said the rumors aim at spreading chaos at the airport and among the Lebanese. “We assure that the airport is operating normally", it stated.
Despite the ongoing Israeli hostilities in Lebanon and the mounting risks, Lebanon’s national carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) continues to operate flights to and from Rafik Hariri International Airport.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel the day after Hamas’ surprise attack into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 ignited the war in Gaza. Hezbollah and Hamas are both allied with Iran.
For nearly a year, the conflict was mostly contained to the areas along the border between Israel and Lebanon. The conflict dramatically escalated on Sept. 23 with intense Israeli airstrikes on south and east Lebanon as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs, leaving hundreds dead and leading to the displacement of nearly 1.2 million people.