As a condition for withdrawal, Israel demands security guarantees from the Lebanese Government so as not to be subjected to guerrilla attacks against its northern border communities. Lebanon insists on unconditional Israeli withdrawal under the terms of resolution 425. The stand-off continues. My greatest wish is to see an early resolution to the problem in Lebanon and in the Middle East. Vehicles and persons entering the area of operation are searched at the checkpoints.
Units also maintain observation posts, most of which are equipped with modern surveillance devices.
Also, as a deputy to the Senior Political Adviser, I regularly meet with leaders of various factions and political organizations. Although we have no budget for humanitarian projects, we do what we can with the modest means at our disposal. Our bulldozers occasionally build roads in the villages. Sometimes, we have collections and fund-raisers among the UN soldiers to finance humanitarian projects. Initially, UN peacekeepers patrolled buffer zones between hostile parties, monitored cease-fires and helped diffuse local conflicts, allowing the search for durable, political settlements to continue.