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Meanwhile, in the Gaza Strip, UN humanitarian operations continue despite shortages, which are exacerbated by Israel’s restrictions on imports of materials needed for emergency shelters.
Further east, in the Strait of Hormuz, some 11,000 sailors are still waiting to be evacuated from the Persian Gulf following disruptions caused by the war launched in late February by the United States and Israel against Iran.
The evacuation operation initiated by International Maritime Organization (IMO) was suspended on Thursday following a new attack on a ship in the Gulf of Oman.
Three separate crises, now linked by the same uncertainty: the outcome of peace talks between Washington and Tehran.
Last week’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at ending hostilities between the two countries and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz resulted in an initial round of talks, which ended on Monday in Switzerland.
Since then, conflicting statements from the two capitals regarding the state of discussions have fueled uncertainty.
UNIFIL peacekeepers on patrol (file)
In Lebanon, the ceasefire is being closely monitored
According to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFILE), the ceasefire that went into effect on June 19 remains respected “in its entirety.” UN observers reported no new missile launches or airstrikes since the two projectiles were detected on Tuesday.
Calm remains relative. UNIFIL continues to observe violations of Lebanese airspace by Israeli drones, as well as armored movements, military engineering work and logistics operations by the Israeli army in its area of operations.
On Wednesday, UN peacekeepers also observed three Israeli tanks opening heavy machine gun fire and firing six 40 mm grenades near the coastal road in Al Bayyadah. Two Israeli patrol boats were also seen in Lebanese territorial waters off the coast of Naqoura, where the mission is based.
The strike appears to have stopped. However, the military posture remains largely in place.
Tents housing displaced Palestinians lay amid moored boats and burning buildings — a scene that encapsulated the collapse of one of the Gaza Strip’s oldest sources of livelihood. (submit)
In Gaza, the state of emergency shows no signs of easing
In the Gaza Strip, UN humanitarian agencies describe the crisis as continuing to worsen.
Kerem Shalom Crossing still the only operational entry point for cargo destined for humanitarian organizations. Every day, UN teams collect food, hygiene supplies and medical equipment there before transporting them to the enclave.
Last week, health partners provided nearly 240,000 medical consultations at 194 health points. Acute respiratory infections, skin diseases and acute diarrhea remain the most common illnesses.
But aid operations face growing obstacles. Shortages of fuel, generator oil, spare parts, medicines and health supplies make it increasingly difficult to maintain health services.
The situation is equally concerning with regard to emergency shelters, although more than 4,000 households received tents, tarpaulins, sleeping equipment or financial assistance last week.
“This is due to shortages of shelter materials, related import restrictions, limited access to some regions, funding gaps and other challenges,” UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric explain.
In the Strait of Hormuz, sailors are still waiting
This regional uncertainty is also at the heart of this problem Sailor’s Daymarked on Thursday under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The agency warned that rising geopolitical tensions – from the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, as well as in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov – are exposing ship crews to increasing risks even as they maintain global trade flows.
After announcing the launch of an operation to evacuate ships and crew members stranded in the Persian Gulf, the IMO said it had temporarily suspended its implementation.
According to IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez, several ships have been successfully evacuated. But an attack on a ship in the Gulf of Oman, after passing through the Strait of Hormuz, prompted the organization to suspend the operation to verify that “necessary safety guarantees” remained in place for ships on the evacuation list, as well as for all ships operating in the region.
The goal, Dominguez stressed, is to prevent stranded sailors from “becoming additional victims of this geopolitical conflict.” The vessels targeted were not part of the IMO-coordinated operation.
In a message marks the Day, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres highlighting the human cost of this crisis.
“When countries clash, sailors are often caught in the crossfire. Recent events in the Strait of Hormuz have left tens of thousands of sailors stranded while working far from home to ensure fuel and food supplies around the world,” he said. “Seafarers must not become victims or pawns of geopolitical conflicts.”
From Lebanon to Gaza and the Strait of Hormuz, the frontlines have frozen without the region truly emerging from the war. The halt in IMO evacuation operations is a reminder of how a single incident can still jeopardize the fragile progress that has been made since talks between Washington and Tehran began.
