UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : Jean-Pierre Lacroix (DPO)

Peacekeeping chief pays tribute to fallen ‘blue helmets’ in Lebanon

The continued support of UN Member States to Lebanon will be “indispensable” to boost the country’s national armed forces and provide humanitarian assistance with more than one million people still uprooted by the Middle East war, the UN's peacekeeping chief said on Wednesday.

“Israel will have to do what it takes to create the space and the political and practical and security conditions for that to happen,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, speaking in Geneva.

In an update on the situation in Lebanon where a fragile ceasefire with Israel beginning 16 April is holding, the UN top diplomat noted that some 80,000 civilians have remained south of the Litani River despite widespread airstrikes and evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military.

Many civilians have already headed back to the south, despite the dangers and difficulties of crossing bombed bridges. “It's going to be challenging to them, they will need support. UNIFIL has recently stepped up its activity in support of humanitarian assistance,” the peacekeeping chief said.

He noted that the continued presence of the Israel Defense Forces in Lebanese territory “is a violation of resolution 1701” - the Security Council text adopted in 2006 calling for Israeli forces to exit southern Lebanon and a total end to hostilities by Hezbollah fighters and Israel.

Mr. Lacroix also paid tribute to the five UNIFIL peacekeepers killed in the south in recent days, three from Indonesia and two from France.

The death of French caporal-chef Anicet Girardin, 31, was announced on Wednesday. It follows an attack on a UNIFIL convoy which came under fire on 18 April while clearing a road in southern Lebanon to re-establish access to isolated UNIFIL positions. An initial UN assessment found that the peacekeepers came under fire from non-state armed groups, presumably Hezbollah.

“I reiterate my condolences to France and Indonesia and to the families of the deceased peacekeepers,” he said, insisting that “our peacekeepers are really making a true difference and they're doing this against the backdrop of an increasingly dangerous environment”.

The situation for the UN’s peacekeepers in southern Lebanon remains uncertain, but it has improved since the force’s headquarters at Naqoura was hit in late March by “a non-state actor”, amid intense Israeli exchanges of fire with Hezbollah fighters.

“The headquarters, of UNIFIL Naqoura is now in an area where there is a presence of the Israel Defense Forces. That doesn't mean that UNIFIL is not able to move and operate, even within limits and constraints,” Mr. Lacroix said. “Those limits have somewhat loosened up since the beginning of this what I call the relative ceasefire, not full, but still better than during these active hostilities over the past couple of weeks.”

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Jean-Pierre Lacroix (DPO) - Press Conference

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