Senior UN peacekeeper deems Arab League's Gaza deployment call premature

The UN and its operations in Gaza have come under intense scrutiny by Israel since the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas, which killed some 1,200 people and still holds scores of hostages.

Israel has accused the UN’s main humanitarian organization in Gaza of being infiltrated by Hamas operatives — which the agency denies — and at the UN has dismissed criticism of its bombardment of the territory.

Lacroix also addressed the challenges the war in the Gaza Strip has created for 10,500 UN peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon. He said the Israel-Hamas war was having a “major impact” on the mission known as Unifil, which he described as a mediator between Israeli and Lebanese forces.

“The role of Unifil is critically important because Unifil is the only channel that can convey messages from one side to the other side, and that is critically important to avoid misunderstanding and also to bring about de-escalation when needed,” Lacroix said.