What do Israel’s attacks on peacekeepers mean for UNIFIL?
The Take
Al Jazeera
4.7 • 748 Ratings
🗓️ 17 October 2024
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
UN peacekeepers in Lebanon have come under direct Israeli fire and sustained injuries in recent weeks as the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies. Despite recent attacks, however, the UNIFIL force has remained committed to its decades-long peacekeeping mission. But with escalating tensions and the safety of troops in crisis, what does the future of UNIFIL look like in Lebanon?
In this episode:
- Shelley Deane (@shelleydeane), Researcher, Dublin City University
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra, Sonia Bhagat, and Tamara Khandaker, with Phillip Lanos, Duha Mosaad, Cole van Miltenberg, Hagir Saleh, and our host, Malika Bilal.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.
Alexandra Locke is the Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Al Jazeera Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Today, the peacekeeping force standing up to Israel in southern Lebanon. |
| 0:16.0 | It's an egregious violation in my view. The actions are reckless, and they need to be accountable in terms of what is happening. |
| 0:25.1 | After repeated Israeli attacks and demands for their withdrawal, UN peacekeeping forces are staying put. |
| 0:32.2 | So where does this standoff end? |
| 0:36.0 | I'm Malika Bilal, and this is The Take. |
| 0:45.9 | Unifil really are there to observe and monitor. |
| 0:48.8 | They're not there to attack, fight or defend. |
| 0:52.9 | They're there to be observers on the ground to be the eyes and ears of the world. |
| 0:58.4 | My name is Dr. Shelley Dean. I'm a researcher at Dublin City University, and I'm speaking to you from Dublin. |
| 1:04.8 | Well, it is a pleasure to have you back on the podcast, Shelley. |
| 1:09.3 | The recent Israeli attacks on UNIFIL peacekeepers has gotten a lot of |
| 1:14.4 | attention around the world and in Ireland, where you're from, because there are 380 Irish |
| 1:20.4 | peacekeepers in Lebanon as part of that force in the south, and the areas around the outposts that they oversee have seen some pretty |
| 1:29.9 | fierce fighting since Israel invaded Lebanon. Bring us up to speed on what's happened so far. |
| 1:38.5 | Well, the Irish-Unfill soldiers have been in South Lebanon for the best part of 46 years. But over time, |
| 1:46.0 | there have been increasing escalations of conflict and kinetic conflicts in the area throughout |
| 1:52.2 | that period. Most recently, when the Israelis initiated their offensive in South Lebanon three |
| 1:58.4 | weeks ago, the Irish Unifil soldiers, along with the rest of the Unifil forces, peacekeeping forces, |
| 2:04.8 | are the front line, really, for what's happening in South Lebanon. |
| 2:10.0 | In the last week, there have been escalation in kinetic activity |
| 2:14.2 | between the Israeli Defence Forces and Unifil positions and unifil observation |
... |
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