UNIFIL Complains About ‘Lack of Clarity’ of Blue Line Border between Lebanon, Israel

A UNIFIL patrol is seen near the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel. (EPA)
A UNIFIL patrol is seen near the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel. (EPA)
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UNIFIL Complains About ‘Lack of Clarity’ of Blue Line Border between Lebanon, Israel

A UNIFIL patrol is seen near the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel. (EPA)
A UNIFIL patrol is seen near the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel. (EPA)

Major General Aroldo Lazaro, Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), urged on Thursday Lebanon and Israel to continue to coordinate their movement near the Blue Line with the international force.

The Blue Line marks the border between the two neighbors.

Chairing a regular tripartite meeting between senior Lebanese and Israeli officers at the southern border town of Ras al-Naqoura, Lazaro underscored the importance of coordination to ease tensions.

He added that the “lack of clarity of the Blue Line” has added to tensions.

The Blue Line was established in 2000 after Israel pulled its forces out of southern Lebanon. A project has been in place since 2007 to demarcate the border line.

“The Blue Line marking project provides a guide in approximating the Blue Line trajectory. Clarity on the precise trajectory of the Blue Line is determined through the deployment of UNIFIL assets,” Lazaro said.

Moreover, he noted that actions that stoke tensions, such as the pointing of weapons, firing of live ammunition, laser-pointing, and stone-throwing, have continued along the border areas in spite of his demand that they stop.

He encouraged parties to make use of UNIFIL’s resources “to help avoid tensions like those seen recently.”

Thursday’s discussions focused on the latest UN Secretary-General report, air and ground violations, and other issues within the scope of UNIFIL’s mandate under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and subsequent resolutions.

Since the end of the 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel, regular tripartite meetings have been held under UNIFIL’s auspices as an “essential conflict-management and confidence-building mechanism,” the UN force said.

“Today’s was the 159th such meeting. Through its liaison and coordination mechanisms, UNIFIL remains the only forum through which Lebanese and Israeli armies officially meet,” it added.



More than 73 Sudanese Dead Due to Worsening Health Situation in Al-Jazira State

People fleeing Sudan’s southern Al-Jazira State arrive at a camp for the displaced in the eastern city of Gedaref on Nov. 2, 2024 (AFP)
People fleeing Sudan’s southern Al-Jazira State arrive at a camp for the displaced in the eastern city of Gedaref on Nov. 2, 2024 (AFP)
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More than 73 Sudanese Dead Due to Worsening Health Situation in Al-Jazira State

People fleeing Sudan’s southern Al-Jazira State arrive at a camp for the displaced in the eastern city of Gedaref on Nov. 2, 2024 (AFP)
People fleeing Sudan’s southern Al-Jazira State arrive at a camp for the displaced in the eastern city of Gedaref on Nov. 2, 2024 (AFP)

The Preliminary Committee of the Sudan Doctors Syndicate said on Wednesday that more than 73 people died in Al-Hilalia city and its neighboring areas in Al-Jazira State due to the worsening health situation.
“Eastern areas of Al-Jazira face a worsening humanitarian disaster, as a result of violent and ongoing attacks by the militia (Rapid Support Forces),” the committee said in a statement.
It said Al-Sabagh Rural Hospital, which is the basic facility for providing medical care to the displaced people, is receiving patients that largely exceed its capacity, and is also facing a critical shortage of medical staff, medicines and basic medical supplies.
The statement listed the dire conditions under which the displaced people in the New Halfa city are living. It said those people are sleeping in the open without shelter or blankets, and are lacking access to safe drinking water.
The committee therefore called on the regional and international community to “immediately intervene to stop this humanitarian tragedy.”
A wave of violence and armed attacks in Al-Jazira State since October 20, have led to the displacement of more than 135,000 people (27,000 families) to various locations in Sudan.
In April 2023, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces spread into a deadly civil war across Sudan, causing a hunger crisis with millions forced out of their homes.