peacekeepers

A pair of deadly attacks in southern Lebanon that killed three UN peacekeepers last month were most likely caused by Israeli tank fire in one case and a Hezbollah improvised explosive device in another, according to preliminary findings from a United Nations investigation shared last night. "We have requested with the relevant parties that the cases be investigated and prosecuted by national authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure criminal accountability for crimes against peacekeepers," Stephane…

A deadly 24 hours for UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon has left three Indonesian members of the UNIFIL mission dead, after two were killed when an "explosion of unknown origin" destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan. UNIFIL said the blast killed the two Indonesian peacekeepers and left two more wounded, one of them severely. The latest deaths bring to three the number of Indonesian UNIFIL personnel killed in southern Lebanon in the past day. The attack came a day after another Indonesian peacekeeper was killed and a…

Calls for accountability grew across Europe after three Indonesian United Nations peacekeepers were killed in southern Lebanon, pushing the conflict’s toll beyond the battlefield and deepening alarm over the safety of international forces. Three UN peacekeepers from Indonesia died in two separate incidents in southern Lebanon after a bloody weekend that also saw Lebanese journalists and medics killed in Israeli strikes. "We call for a thorough investigation to shed light on these grave attacks. These attacks are a grave…

Live: South Lebanon attack leaves two UNIFIL peacekeepers dead

UNIFIL to withdraw most peacekeepers by mid-2027 as mandate ends this year The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon will withdraw most of its troops by mid-2027, the mission said, laying out a timeline to wind down operations after its mandate expires on December 31, 2026, amid persistent tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border. “UNIFIL is planning to draw down and withdraw all, or substantially all, uniformed personnel by mid-year 2027,” spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said, adding the force intends to complete the pullout…

Irish troops to spend Christmas on peacekeeping duty in south Lebanon as UNIFIL observes fragile Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire More than 300 Irish soldiers will spend Christmas Day on peacekeeping duties at Camp Shamrock in south Lebanon, serving with the UNIFIL mission to observe the fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in the region. The deployment means hundreds of service members will mark the holiday away from home. Their work will continue through the day, focused on maintaining stability and…

BEIRUT — The Lebanese army said it arrested six people after gunmen opened fire on an Irish United Nations patrol in southern Lebanon on Thursday, in the latest flare-up along the volatile border region. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported that six men riding three mopeds approached a patrol vehicle near Bint Jbeil at about 6 p.m. and one of the men fired “approximately three shots into the back of the vehicle.” The UN peacekeepers were not injured, UNIFIL said. The Irish Defence Forces confirmed its…

"Genuine peace must be the product of many nations..." "Genuine peace must be the product of many nations, the sum of many acts. It must be dynamic, not static, changing to meet the challenge of each new generation. For peace is a process." — John F. Kennedy Ireland, UNIFIL and the hard calculus of stabilising Gaza When nations talk about “stabilisation” today, they are describing an uneasy, long-term business: dismantling armed networks, reconstituting local policing, protecting aid corridors and — crucially — building…

Somalia’s president rejects the idea of a proxy war as Egyptian and Ethiopian forces prepare to serve side by side President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s calm confidence — “there will be no proxy war” — is as much a diplomatic posture as it is a strategic calculation. His reassurance, given in an interview with the BBC, comes as Egypt prepares to send troops to Somalia as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission that already includes Ethiopian units. The announcement has unexpectedly exposed one of the Horn of Africa’s most…

In Golweyn, a town deep in the Somali heartland, Omar Hassan Warsame was known for his generosity and leadership. His vast farm provided not only a bounty of corn and bananas but also a lifeline for locals, offering jobs and sheltering the community from the harsh seasons. At 65, Omar and his team, up to a dozen strong, busied themselves with tending to their fields. Located in the Lower Shebelle region, about 110 kilometers from Mogadishu, his farm often stood as a beacon of stability against the regular droughts that…