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 ...
