Middle East: Baerbock: Support for the Lebanese army is increasing

In view of the growing tensions between Israel and the Shiite militia Hezbollah, Germany is providing Lebanon with an additional 15 million euros to better equip the country’s army.

The money should ensure that the Lebanese soldiers can provide better security on the border with Israel in the south of the country, said Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during a visit to the UN observation mission Unifil in the Lebanese capital Beirut. The Green politician called on both Hezbollah and Israel to de-escalate in order to avoid a conflagration in the region.

Background to the disputes

Since the war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip began on October 7th, clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon in the border area of ​​both countries have increased significantly. Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran and allied with Hamas, is increasingly firing missiles at Israel from Lebanon.

Israel usually responds to this with attacks on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. The Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented attack by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups on border towns in Israel on October 7th.

Baerbock: A capable army is essential

The more Unifil is supported, “the stronger our joint contribution to de-escalation can be,” said Baerbock. A well-equipped and trained Lebanese army, whose soldiers are paid like any other army, “is just as important as an effective Lebanese government.”

This is essential to exercise effective control over Lebanese territory and to contain armed militias and terrorist organizations. The cooperation between Unifil and the Lebanese army is central.

The 15 million euros will be used to pay for the procurement of fuel. But it is also about medium-term measures, such as better border surveillance on the land side. The increase is being carried out in close coordination with international partners, in particular the USA, France and Great Britain, it said. It has also been agreed with Israel.

Baerbock demands “maximum military restraint”

The Federal Foreign Minister called for “maximum military restraint from all sides. We need de-escalation from all sides.” Hezbollah must withdraw from the blue line, the demarcation line on the border.

“The war in Gaza against Hamas must not be used as an excuse to open another front and provoke a regional war,” she warned.

Newspaper: Israeli houses fired at with anti-tank missiles

According to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Shiite militia Hezbollah in southern Lebanon is using an unusually large number of anti-tank missiles against residential buildings in its fight against Israel. These weapons were actually developed to combat armored vehicles and although they only have a relatively short range, they can be steered very precisely onto the target by the shooter.

The Israeli army is having major problems intercepting these weapons, the newspaper continued. Hundreds of houses in the towns near the border in northern Israel, such as Metula, Manara and Avivim, which have been evacuated for weeks, have already been hit by projectiles from Lebanon or damaged by the pressure waves from Israeli artillery, the newspaper wrote, citing residents. People are afraid and cannot return to their hometowns.

Buffer zone since the end of 2006

At the end of the second Lebanon war in 2006, a buffer zone was set up in southern Lebanon. UN Resolution 1701 banned the deployment of Lebanese Hezbollah militias south of the Litani River, the border area with Israel. The Lebanese military should be stationed in southern Lebanon. The Israeli troops, in turn, had to retreat behind the Blue Line – the border.

Israel is calling for Hezbollah’s withdrawal under Resolution 1701 north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border. So far, Hezbollah has not agreed to this.

Oldest active UN peacekeeping mission

Unifil has been monitoring the border area between Israel and Lebanon since 1978. The Blue Helmet mission is considered one of the oldest active UN observer missions. There are currently just over 10,000 soldiers involved in the operation. The Bundeswehr currently has around 200 soldiers on the mission; the mandate allows up to 300.

Visit to the German frigate “Baden-Württemberg”

In the port of Beirut, Baerbock found out about the work of the Bundeswehr soldiers on the German frigate “Baden-Württemberg”. The ship has been on Unifil mission with around 120 soldiers since October 20th.

The mission is intended to support the Lebanese government in securing its maritime borders and preventing arms smuggling by sea. This is the first mission ever for the ship of the new F125 frigate type, which went into service in 2019.

Onward flight to the Philippines

The Federal Foreign Minister wants to travel on to Southeast Asia in the afternoon. In view of China’s increasingly aggressive behavior in the region, Baerbock wants to promote closer cooperation with partners in Southeast Asia.

“The freedom of sea routes, the security of supply chains and thus global economic development are at stake here – in an area through which a third of global maritime trade flows,” warned the Green politician before her departure from Beirut, Lebanon.

In recent years there have been repeated incidents between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. In addition to geopolitical questions, it involves fishing grounds, raw materials such as oil and natural gas, and the security of sea routes.

Baerbock also announced that he wanted to work even more closely with the Philippines on climate protection. The cooperation between skilled workers also holds great potential. Thousands of Filipino nurses did indispensable work in Germany.