Dutch UNIFIL Veterans Express Concern for Families in South Lebanon

lebanon - Dutch veterans who served in Lebanon with the UNIFIL mission share their worries about the civilian population caught between Hezbollah and the Israeli army.

UNIFIL-veteran Hans Nijs (67) empathizes with affected families in South Lebanon, witnessing how they are trapped and crushed between Hezbollah and the Israeli army.

Dutch conscripts, often very young, tried to maintain peace in the always turbulent area at the northern border of Israel on behalf of the UN peacekeeping force from 1979 to 1985. A total of 9000 Dutch boys were active in Lebanon.

They could not accomplish much. Often, the Dutch peacekeepers helplessly watched as Islamic and Christian militias fought each other, leading to the Israeli army invading the area in 1982.

The UNIFIL mission still exists, now caught between the Israeli army on one side and Hezbollah on the other. Both parties pay little attention to the UN soldiers.

Last week, several peacekeepers were injured in actions by the IDF, the Israeli army. Israel, for instance, shelled the UNIFIL base in Naqoura, where the Dutch troops were stationed.

More than forty years after his mission, former UNIFIL member Chris Laarhoven (62) still has Lebanon on his mind. His wife is Lebanese, her elderly mother still lives there. He himself lived there for many years. "I closely follow the news. My contacts in the area call me regularly for reliable information. They mainly rely on propaganda channels there."

Laarhoven is active for the organization 'Reunion with Lebanon,' which organizes return trips for veterans. "Seeing how the local population welcomes us during our trips indicates that we were able to make a difference. We helped them with medical aid, bought goods from their shops, helped them repair things. They haven't forgotten that."

He means to say: UNIFIL is meaningful. "Still. Without UNIFIL, the population there is completely at the mercy of the whims of Israel, the US, and Iran. The population is weary of war. They want peace."

"UNIFIL is their last straw," adds veteran André Matthijssen. "A small straw, with a weak mandate, I realize. But without UNIFIL, the people are entirely hopeless. It's speculative, but what if Israel occupies the south? Will you have peace then? In that case, I foresee a guerrilla war. Let there be a ceasefire, for God's sake."

Former UNIFIL member Hans Nijs (67) also realizes that UNIFIL is not capable of keeping the Israelis and Hezbollah apart. "I understand well that Israel wants to put an end to Hezbollah's rain of rockets on northern Israel. But the citizens in South Lebanon are caught in between. They are being crushed. Again and again."

The umpteenth resurgence of war pains the veterans. Their sympathies lie with the population. Warm ties still exist with families that formed friendships more than forty years ago.

On Saturday, former UNIFIL members will gather in Eindhoven at the initiative of the 'Reunion with Lebanon' organization. The organization has noticed 'a lot of unrest' among the veterans. "There is a need for interaction and up-to-date information," says the organization.

The organization supports the girls' orphanage in Tibnin that Dutch engineers helped build back then. Laarhoven: "The Irish peacekeepers currently there try their best to maintain contact with the orphanage. But since that mortar attack, people are afraid to answer their phones. It is frustrating. All we can do now is donate..."

Nijs: "The UNIFIL boys there now do what they can. But they are not allowed to do anything. Even if Hezbollah is digging a tunnel right in front of them, they cannot intervene. What can they do? Report, document what is happening. Serve as eyes and ears, as a thorn in the side. The warring parties cannot carry out various actions with onlookers around. Rest assured that Israel sees UNIFIL as a pain in the ass."

Laarhoven gets emotional when he thinks about South Lebanon. "Damn it, always that war. Another generation of children who cannot go to school. And it's such a beautiful country, isn't it? I lived there for a long time and almost always felt safe. There is more than just war."

Matthijssen: "If there is peace in Lebanon, it can be a magnificent country. You can even ski there! And Beirut, it used to be known as 'the Paris of the Middle East.' I hope that time will come back..."