United Nations News reported that Israeli strikes killed six UN workers and civilians at a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The report highlighted that at least 220 agency staff have been killed in Gaza since October 2023. UNRWA Acting Commissioner-General Christian Saunders said that “[the] longer impunity prevails, the more international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions will become irrelevant.”
In both Palestine and Lebanon, Israel continues to violate ceasefire agreements and kill and injure civilians. Since the October 2025 ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli attacks have killed 1,334 individuals and injured 4,429 others, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
In Lebanon, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continues to report Israeli military activity, including the use of explosive-filled jerrycans, with at least nine explosions reported on Saturday alone.
The report also highlighted that Israeli personnel obstructed UN peacekeepers’ freedom of movement, holding a patrol for two hours.
UNIFIL Fate Unclear
One of the most prominent discussions surrounding ongoing political and security developments concerns the fate of UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon. UNIFIL’s mandate is set to end in December 2026.
Lebanese state representatives have been pushing for an extension of the interim force’s mandate or for the establishment of solid alternatives. This includes steps taken by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun during diplomatic visits.
In early September, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that more than 10 European countries were willing to contribute resources and personnel to a mission advising and training the Lebanese Armed Forces.
However, such a mission would differ from a peacekeeping mandate. Kallas clarified that the EU was not seeking to replace UNIFIL, but only to strengthen the Lebanese army’s capacity to provide security across the country’s territory.
Negotiations under the trilateral framework agreement have significantly stalled, with no new pilot zones identified or rolled out for several months, raising concerns about a potential escalation.
A US State Department official reportedly told Reuters that Israel and Lebanon are set to meet in Rome in October to discuss a US-brokered security agreement. Even if the meeting does take place, skepticism about its consequentiality remains high.
