Rubble and drones: in the no-go zone between Lebanon and Israel 

Was it an air strike or was a mine blown up? Team "Zulu" from Observer Group Lebanon heard a bang and is on the lookout for smoke. Giannis Mavris / SWI swissinfo.ch

Since the 2024 war, the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel has become a no-man’s land of devastation. We join a team of United Nations military observers on patrol on the Lebanese side.

We have just got out of our vehicles when we hear a blast in the distance. A cloud of smoke spirals up some ten kilometres to the south-east. Captain Julien takes out his binoculars and describes what he can see. The leader of the patrol, Captain Leighton, notes it down. It is unclear at this point whether the bang was the result of an attack or a demining operation. A drone circles overhead, clearly audible.

This is the first stop on the patrol by the Observer Group Lebanon, which is part of the world’s oldest UN peacekeeping mission. On this day, the four-man team consists of Swiss Captain Julien, patrol leader Captain Leighton from New Zealand, Russian Captain Anton and Lebanese translator Ali. They are part of the UNTSO mission in Lebanon and, as is customary among the members of this mission, the officers go only by their first names.

About UNTSO

The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO)External link is the oldest United Nation’s peace mission in the world. It was set up in 1948 to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and the neighbouring Arab states. A total of 388 military and civilian staff are deployed in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Israel. Some of them carry out missions like the one described here in several countries. In Lebanon, they work closely with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose mandate is due to come to an end in late 2026.

Today, 14 members of the Swiss armed forces are deployed with UNTSO, at all stations and in all five countries covered by its mandate. The head of mission is also Swiss. Major General Patrick Gauchat is thus the highest-ranking Swiss military officer in the UN. Overall, around 300 members of the Swiss armed forces are deployed in peace support operations abroad.External link

We are in Al-Qaouzah, a Christian village two kilometres from the Blue Line, the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel. The military observers, who are always unarmed, affix a light blue UN flag to an iron pole sticking out from a pile of rubble. Until recently, this pile was a house. It was destroyed in the 2024 war. Today, they are setting up their first temporary observation post here.

The flag is intended to clearly identify the military observers. For they themselves are also being observed. The drone flying overhead will likely follow us throughout the entire patrol. However, it will not be reported: “Under our regulations, two observers from two different countries must be able to see it and not just hear it.” This morning in early November is quite misty, and visibility is reduced. Whose drone is it? “Even if we can’t see it, we assume that it’s very likely to be an Israeli drone,” says Captain Julien.

It is obvious that the drone belongs to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). Israel keeps a close eye on its northern neighbour. Israeli drones operate throughout the country – in the capital Beirut, the Bekaa Valley to the east, and especially in the south near the border.

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Each temporary observation post of the Observer Group Lebanon (OGL) is marked with a blue UN flag. Here in the village of Qouzah, a few kilometres from the demarcation line. Giannis Mavris / SWI swissinfo.ch

The OGL monitors the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, known as the Blue Line. The teams drive along the line and record what they see. Giannis Mavris / SWI swissinfo.ch

The military observers are unarmed. Their mandate is to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and its Arab neighbours since 1948. Giannis Mavris / SWI swissinfo.ch

The village of Ramyeh is one kilometre away from the demarcation line. Like dozens of other villages, it was completely destroyed by Israeli forces. An Israeli aerial is visible in the background; the entire border area is under surveillance. Giannis Mavris / SWI swissinfo.ch

The buildings were destroyed with explosive charges or construction machinery. Giannis Mavris / SWI swissinfo.ch

Captain Julien and Captain Leighton from the Zulu team make a note if they register anything new. Sometimes Hezbollah fighters sneak back and hang up flags to mark their presence. Giannis Mavris / SWI swissinfo.ch

The headquarters of the military observers is located in the UNIFIL camp Naqoura in the south of the country, within sight of the Blue Line. Giannis Mavris / SWI swissinfo.ch

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Such drone flights are violations of the ceasefire agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel in November 2024. The mandate of the Observer Group Lebanon is to record and report such violations. The military observers adhere strictly to the UN’s principle of impartiality; they make no allegations during the patrol and remain reserved in their choice of words towards me.

The region is a stronghold of the Shiite Hezbollah. It began firing rockets at Israel after the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Israel retaliated, decimating Hezbollah’s leadership in a short, extremely bloody war in 2024 and destroying what is believed to be a very large part of its arsenal. Since then, the organisation has been severely weakened militarily, but continues to exert influence on Lebanese politics.

The observers document violations

We continue on our route toward the demarcation line. From the observation point, we could see several villages, with destroyed buildings everywhere. However not like in the village of Ramiyah, which we now reach. The village has been completely destroyed. The buildings have mostly been reduced to concrete skeletons; there are heaps of rubble everywhere; many roads are impassable – and a lot of unexploded ordnance is still lying around.

Ramiyah is one of dozens of villages that have been destroyed by the Israeli army. Everything that stood within about one kilometre of the Blue Line is now gone. “The buildings were first hit by airstrikes and artillery and then blown up with explosives,” says Captain Julien.

Israel has created this buffer zone along the entire Blue Line, where the Israeli army does not allow any reconstruction. While some of the locals are returning to their villages further away, places like Ramiyah have become no-go zones. Those who try to return are met with warning shots or by stun grenades dropped from drones. A few pictures of martyrs and flags nonetheless still hang in the ruins of Ramiyah – Hezbollah wants to signal that it does not intend to leave.

From Ramiyah, we can also see an Israeli outpost. The Israeli army still maintains five illegal outposts on Lebanese territory – another breach of the ceasefire agreement. We can also see radio towers and a border wall that runs the entire length of the Blue Line. This wall is intended to prevent attacks from Lebanese territory.

Growing pressure on Lebanon  

Around 3,000 people lived in Ramiyah before the war. They have all fled to the north. A return does not seem possible; at least not until a political solution is found.

Swiss Captain Julien has been stationed in Lebanon with UNTSO since this summer. Giannis Mavris / SWI swissinfo.ch

In the days leading up to the patrol, the Israeli army attackedExternal link targets in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. Several people were killed and many were injured. Israel said they were Hezbollah members, and accused the organisation of rebuilding its arsenal, which is prohibited by the ceasefire agreement. According to Israeli media, more than 300 Hezbollah members have been killed since the agreement was signed, while the UN speaks of over 100 civilian casualties. There are also varying accounts of the numbers of victims.

In Beirut, many currently fear a new war. Now that things are calmer in Gaza, Israel could launch a final blow against Hezbollah. For the already battered country, this is a terrifying prospect. In 2024, thousands of people died and more than 1.2 million were displaced – nearly one fifth of the population. Tens of thousands of people have still not been able to return to their homes.

According to the agreement, Hezbollah must withdraw from southern Lebanon and allow itself to be disarmed by the Lebanese government. There are differing accounts as to the extent to which this is happening. “The Lebanese army has certainly stepped up its presence in the south over the past year,” says Captain Julien.

The Israeli attacks and the growing diplomatic pressure from the United States to disarm Hezbollah are a major problem for the Lebanese government. In the event of an open confrontation, the country fears a renewed civil war.

Military observers likely to be needed long-term

Our patrol continues on its way through various villages in the region. Whenever possible, the observers interact with the locals, meet the mayors and talk to farmers about the harvest. “The UN has a good reputation in the region. For the people here, its presence means that the world is watching,” says Captain Julien.

We stop for lunch at a restaurant. They serve up freshly made lahm bi ajeen, a kind of meat pie. The people here are used to the presence of the UN soldiers, but a couple of young men want to take a photo with me. Will they send the picture of the unknown face to Hezbollah? Captain Julien shrugs his shoulders in response to my question.

At the end of the patrol, the military observers write up their report at the UN base in Naqoura. It is now known that the blast we heard was an attack by the Israeli army on a car in a nearby village. The target was reportedly a Hezbollah member. One person was killed and several were injured. There are to be more such attacks in the coming days.

What does the future hold for UNTSO? The mandate of the much larger UNIFIL mission lasts until late 2026, after which it will gradually wind down its operations in Lebanon. This will likely mean a greater role for UNTSO in a region that has experienced intense tensions and outright conflict for decades. But nobody wants to make predictions. A lot can happen here in one year.

Edited by Benjamin von Wyl. Adapted from German by Julia Bassam/ds