UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon crossfire

On the deserted border between Lebanon and Israel, Spanish U.N. peacekeepers have for more than 10 months effectively been caught in a war zone.

Several Blue Helmets have been wounded in the crossfire between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah, which has also left dozens of Lebanese civilians dead in fallout from the Israeli war on Gaza.

"Sometimes we need to shelter because of the shelling... sometimes even inside the bunkers," said Alvaro Gonzalez Gavalda, a Blue Helmet at Base 964 of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

To reach the base, AFP journalists escorted in a UNIFIL convoy passed through virtually deserted villages. Only the occasional grocer or automotive repair shop were still open along the road where fields have been left charred by bombardment.

The base, surrounded by barbed wire and protected with heavy stone-filled berms, is not far from the town of Khiam, where dozens of houses have been destroyed or damaged, about five kilometers from the border.

Over a wall that marks the frontier, the Israeli settlement of Metula is clearly visible. It has also been emptied of residents, as have other communities on both sides of the boundary.

- Keeping watch -

From a watchtower, binoculars help the peacekeepers see further -- into the Golan Heights annexed by Israel. The area has been a frequent target of Hezbollah fire.

Spanish Lieutenant Colonel Jose Irisarri said their mission, under Security Council Resolution 1701, is to "control the area" and help the Lebanese government and armed forces establish control south of the Litani River, which is around 30 kilometers from the border with Israel.

The resolution ended a war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

It called for all armed personnel to pull back north of the Litani, except for Lebanese state security forces and United Nations peacekeepers.

While Hezbollah has not had a visible military presence in the border area since then, the group still holds sway over large parts of the south.

When Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israel on October 7, triggering war with Israel, Hezbollah opened what it calls a "support front" a day later, launching rockets and other fire from southern Lebanon against Israeli positions.

Israel has hit back with air strikes and artillery fire.

"Some of these villages are completely empty. There is no one living there because of the risk and the constant attacks they are suffering," Irisarri said.

The Security Council first established UNIFIL in 1978 after Israel invaded south Lebanon. Its mission was expanded after the 2006 war.

Now, with fears of a wider regional war in which Lebanon would be on the front line, the U.N.'s Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said UNIFIL's role is "more important than ever".

Spain's contingent of 650 soldiers, based at several positions, are among around 10,000 troops from 49 countries in the mission.

"It's the only liaison channel between the Israeli side and the Lebanese side in all its components, such as Hezbollah," Lacroix told AFP in early August.

UNIFIL's mandate expires at the end of August and Lebanon has asked for its renewal.

Cross-border violence since the Gaza war started has killed 601 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also including at least 131 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

The Israeli authorities have announced the deaths of at least 23 soldiers and 26 civilians since the fighting began, including in the annexed Golan Heights.

- Far from home -

The Spaniards don't just limit themselves to their core mission. They also give "support and some help" to the local population, Irisarri said.

As an example, he said their psychological team assists students with special needs.

AFP was unable to visit the school during its tour on Friday, after the Spanish contingent raised the security level following exchanges of fire in the area.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon's south on Friday killed seven Hezbollah fighters and a local child, according to Hezbollah and Lebanon's health ministry. Israel said its military aircraft had hit "terrorist" targets.

The peacekeepers have little time to rest, but have the company of two adopted dogs.

When they do have leisure time, "we go to the gym to keep fit and also we enjoy watching movies and talking to some friends", said Gavalda.

He has been in Lebanon since May.

"We miss our families," but internet enables them to stay in touch almost daily, Gavalda said.

Surrounded by death, the soldiers have set up on their grounds a small statue of the Virgin Mary inside a protective glass case.