In South Lebanon, a UN mission is making efforts to maintain the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. However, the task of the blue helmets goes far beyond patrolling. How the mission is perceived on the ground - in the ARD report.
It is difficult not to notice the patrol cars of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. The white cars drive along the roads in the far from densely populated South Lebanon, and Indian soldiers are currently patrolling, ARD reports. With the characteristic blue helmet on his head, officer Pitram Ramdasani tracks his team's route with a digital map. He passes through the villages around the so-called "blue line" between Israel and Lebanon. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is operating in this area.
However, the destroyed villages in the region are a clear sign of what was happening here until recently. After the recent military actions between Israel and the Shiite terrorist militia Hezbollah, operating from Lebanon, many of the local people have left the area.
UNIFIL is carrying out activities in which the Lebanese state is failing
A ceasefire is now officially in effect and some of those who fled are timidly returning to their homes, the ARD report continues. The UN peacekeeping forces are trying to build ties with the Lebanese and help in any way they can to maintain peace. The problems are not small - unexploded shells can be found in many places here. UN peacekeepers are helping to secure the fields before farmers can return to their normal activities.
UNIFIL doctors are also very important to the local people in southern Lebanon, where medical care is not good enough. In fact, the UN mission does many of the things that the Lebanese state fails to do. Now the peacekeepers are even organizing cooking and yoga classes for mothers and children in the area, Ramdasani explained to the German public-law media.
The headquarters of the Indian military at the UN is close to Mark Diab's shop. The Spanish soldiers are also not far away. Diab, a Lebanese, calls them his friends and supplies them with everything they might need. “They are like family to me. They are here to help us. They take care of all the villages,” the 59-year-old trader tells ARD. Diab's daughter is married to a former member of the UN mission and lives in Italy. The Lebanese man says that when the blue helmets withdraw from the area, he will also emigrate. The UN Security Council voted to end the mandate in southern Lebanon in 2026.
Can Hezbollah be disarmed?
However, the situation in southern Lebanon is not stable - the ceasefire is fragile, and tensions continue to be felt. Israel is still attacking places where it believes Hezbollah fighters are hiding. In the southern part of the country, many sympathize with Hezbollah, which they believe is the only one protecting them from Israel.
The Lebanese government came under pressure from the US and decided to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year. The group's leader, Naim Qassem, rejects the decision, while Israel continues to attack Lebanon, ARD writes. Qassem even talks to his supporters about war "if necessary" and "no matter how many victims there may be".
But will Hezbollah really risk a civil war? Retired Lebanese General Khalil Helu doubts it. "Even if Hezbollah does not want to disarm, it will not be able to organize a coup and overthrow the government", the military officer told ARD. After the war with Israel, the Shiite militia has been weakened. In addition, not everyone in Lebanon supports Hezbollah. According to Helu, the Lebanese authorities should take advantage of this when negotiating with the political wing of the group, because it is important to limit the influence of the Shiite militia. It is not yet clear who will be able to do this - the Lebanese army is weak and underfunded.
Important mission for civilians
In southern Lebanon, the UNIFIL patrol is calm - something that has not always been the case. In recent months, especially, the UN peacekeepers have repeatedly found themselves between the fronts of Hezbollah and Israel.
The Indian representative of the Blue Helmets, Pitram Ramdasani, says that this is a very important mission - especially when it comes to caring for civilians who are exhausted by the war. "This country is so beautiful. I pray that it will be prosperous," he adds.