Israeli tanks breached a United Nations peacekeeping base in southern Lebanon on 13 October, prompting condemnation and escalating tensions between Israel and its allies. The incident marks the latest in a series of reported violations involving Israel and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the United Nations to evacuate the peacekeepers from combat zones, particularly areas under Hezbollah’s control.

In a statement to UN Secretary General António Guterres, Netanyahu claimed the peacekeepers’ presence provided cover for Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, by acting as “human shields.”

יש לי מסר ברור למזכ״ל האו״ם >> pic.twitter.com/rzRwHnXOTh

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 13, 2024

Netanyahu’s appeal followed several alleged attacks on peacekeepers in recent days.

UNIFIL confirmed the tank incursion at one of its bases, describing it as part of a pattern of Israeli violations, including the wounding of five peacekeepers.

Italy, one of the largest contributors to UNIFIL, has also expressed deep concern. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the attacks during a phone call with Netanyahu. She reiterated the unacceptability of Israeli strikes targeting UN peacekeepers, reflecting growing unease among Western allies.

UNIFIL OPERATIONS UNDER THREAT

UNIFIL, established in 1978 to monitor peace in southern Lebanon, has frequently been caught in the middle of Israeli-Hezbollah conflict.

Following Israel’s 2006 war with Hezbollah, UN Security Council Resolution 1701 mandated that the region remain free of unauthorised military forces. However, Israel has accused UNIFIL of failing to prevent Hezbollah from stockpiling weapons and operating in the area.

Over the past weeks, hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have intensified. UNIFIL reported attacks on peacekeeping equipment, such as watchtowers and surveillance systems, compromising their ability to monitor the area. Peacekeeping operations have been nearly suspended since late September, with over 300 peacekeepers temporarily relocated to larger bases for safety.

The escalating violence has also raised alarms in other nations contributing to UNIFIL.

In addition to Italy, France and Spain—both of which have significant contingents in the force—have issued statements condemning Israeli actions against peacekeepers.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded by reiterating Israel’s dissatisfaction with the UN, particularly its perceived failure to condemn Iran’s missile attacks in early October.

Late on Sunday, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said: “Unifil peacekeepers remain in all positions and the UN flag continues to fly.

“The secretary-general reiterates that Unifil personnel and its premises must never be targeted. Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law, including international humanitarian law. They may constitute a war crime,” he said.

US urges restraint, heightened tensions in region

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed concern over the attacks on peacekeeper positions in a call with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

Austin stressed the need for Israel to ensure the safety of UNIFIL personnel, as well as that of the Lebanese military, which is not directly involved in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Tensions in the region remain high following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. Hezbollah’s involvement has further complicated the situation, with fears that Israeli military actions could provoke a larger regional conflict involving Iran.

The latest reports suggest Israel may retaliate against Iran for an earlier missile attack on 1 October. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, declared that Iran has “no red lines” in its defence, heightening the risk of further escalation.

Lebanon’s government reported over 2,100 deaths and 10,000 injuries resulting from the conflict over the past year, with significant casualties occurring in recent weeks.

While the Lebanese death toll does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, it includes numerous women and children, highlighting the human cost of the ongoing violence.

Calls for peace amid fears of wider conflict

The possibility of a broader war looms large, with neighbouring Iraq also expressing concern. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, speaking alongside Araqchi, warned of the dangers an all-out war could pose to global energy markets.

“We call on all influential and concerned countries to work to stop the war and start a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon,” Hussein said, underscoring the geopolitical risks involved.

As of now, the fate of UNIFIL remains uncertain. Despite Israel’s calls for their evacuation, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix insisted that the force would continue its mission.

Lacroix acknowledged, however, that the safety of peacekeepers had become “increasingly jeopardised,” with their ability to monitor violations severely restricted.

UNIFIL has been a key stabilising factor in southern Lebanon for decades, but with Israeli-Hezbollah hostilities worsening, its continued presence in the region could lead to further conflicts involving international forces.

The United Nations is facing increasing pressure to either reinforce or reassess its peacekeeping mission in one of the Middle East’s most volatile regions.

The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organisations, known as Nihon Hidankyo, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its decades-long effort to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

The honour comes just before the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and amidst a renewed global focus on the potential threat posed by nuclear arms.

The Nobel committee commended Nihon Hidankyo for raising global awareness of the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons.

Through personal testimonies of hibakusha—survivors of the atomic bombings in August 1945—the group has played a key role in fostering global opposition to the use and proliferation of nuclear arms. The committee highlighted that the testimonies of these survivors have made the incomprehensible suffering caused by nuclear weapons more tangible to the world.

“The hibakusha help us to describe the indescribable, to think the unthinkable, and to somehow grasp the incomprehensible pain and suffering caused by nuclear weapons,” said the Nobel committee.

“The dream came true!”

The prize came as a big surprise, says Masako Wada, a representative from the Japanese organisation Nihon Hidankyo, which works to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.

In this interview shortly after learning about the 2024 #NobelPeacePrize, she… pic.twitter.com/MHdnuqT5rM

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 11, 2024

Toshiyuki Mimaki, the 81-year-old co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, expressed deep gratitude for the prize, seeing it as a powerful boost to the organisation’s ongoing mission.

“It would be a great force to appeal to the world that the abolition of nuclear weapons can be achieved,” Mimaki stated. He stressed the necessity of eliminating nuclear weapons entirely, rejecting the argument that their existence ensures peace.

While Nihon Hidankyo continues to advocate for a nuclear-free world, the Nobel committee warned that the international taboo against nuclear weapons, in place since the end of World War II, is under strain.

The ongoing war in Ukraine has heightened concerns, with Russian President Vladimir Putin refusing to rule out the use of tactical nuclear weapons. Simultaneously, North Korea continues to develop its nuclear arsenal, raising global alarms.

Japan’s Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, welcomed the award, calling it “extremely meaningful” for the country and the global anti-nuclear movement. However, Japan’s dependency on the US nuclear umbrella, alongside its refusal to sign a 2021 treaty banning nuclear weapons, may lead some to see the prize as a subtle critique of its current policies.

Mimaki also drew a powerful parallel between the suffering of Japanese children in 1945 and the current situation for children in Gaza. He expressed disbelief at winning the prize, saying, “I thought the prize would go to those working hard in Gaza,” and added: “In Gaza, bleeding children are being held [by their parents]. It’s like Japan 80 years ago.”

His emotional comparison to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has sparked debate, with Israel’s ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, condemning the statement as “outrageous and baseless.”

Cohen asserted that such comparisons distort history and dishonour victims of the ongoing conflict with Hamas, a militant group designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel and many Western countries.

Cohen, while congratulating Nihon Hidankyo on winning the Nobel Peace Prize, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express his concerns.

I congratulate Nihon Hidankyo on winning the Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing their work for peace and justice. However, co-chair Toshiyuki Mimaki's comparison of Gaza to Japan after WWII is outrageous and baseless. Gaza is ruled by Hamas, a murderous terrorist organization… pic.twitter.com/7TXD9f0zQ2

— Gilad Cohen 🇮🇱🎗️ (@GiladCohen_) October 12, 2024

He criticised the comparison drawn by Mimaki, saying, “Gaza is ruled by Hamas, a murderous terrorist organisation committing a double war crime: targeting Israeli civilians, including women and children, while using its own people as human shields.”

He added that such comparisons “distort history and dishonour the victims” of the October 2023 Hamas attacks, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 Israeli civilians.

Despite the criticism, Mimaki’s remarks have focused global attention on the broader humanitarian impacts of war, particularly on children and civilians, a topic that resonates with Nihon Hidankyo’s core message against the destructive capacity of nuclear arms.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to escalate, with Palestinian health authorities reporting a death toll of over 42,000 since Israeli airstrikes began, the majority of the victims being civilians, including women and children.

The destruction of infrastructure, homes, and essential services in Gaza has drawn widespread international concern amid an ongoing case in the International Court of Justice, in which South Africa has accused Israel of genocide, stating that the claim is plausible.

Mimaki’s remarks, however, stand within a broader context of his anti-war advocacy. Speaking at the press conference after the award was announced, he reiterated the need for global disarmament and a focus on humanitarian concerns.

“Nuclear weapons should absolutely be abolished,” he said. “The idea that they bring peace is a fallacy. They can be used by terrorists, and if that happens, it will not end there.”

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, with victims suffering from radiation sickness, burns, and other injuries long after the initial blasts.

Today, the official death toll stands at 344,306 in Hiroshima and 198,785 in Nagasaki, according to Japan’s health ministry. Survivors, many of whom are now elderly, have been dedicated to ensuring that the horrors of nuclear warfare are never repeated.

Despite the passage of nearly 80 years, the hibakusha continue to advocate against the possession and use of nuclear weapons.

As the number of survivors dwindles, their legacy is carried forward by organisations like Nihon Hidankyo, which is committed to preserving their message for future generations.

“One day, the hibakusha will no longer be among us as witnesses to history,” the Nobel committee remarked. “But with a strong culture of remembrance, new generations are continuing their mission.”