UN military observers oversee the ceasefires between Israel and Syria as well as Lebanon, in a preventative effort to head off isolated incidents that could escalate into another all-out war in the febrile region.

The original observer mission mandated in 1948 is known as the UN Truce Supervision Organization, or UNTSO, which also advises the other UN peacekeeping forces in the Middle East: the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Syria and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Major General Patrick Gauchat, Head of UNTSO, told UN News that it is necessary to have “everyone working on guaranteeing the temporary becomes long-term”.

Operating in a buffer zone between Israel and its two neighbours, Major General Gauchat explained in an interview with Nathalie Minard that the situation in the region continues to be complex and challenging.