COMMENT | Last week’s Israeli strike near Sidon in southern Lebanon marks another calculated escalation of regional tensions, injuring six Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) personnel deployed to the region.

The attack at a checkpoint killed civilian occupants of a vehicle, wounded three Lebanese soldiers, and damaged a Malbatt transport bus en route to Camp Marakah.

This incident continues a trend of operations showing diminishing regard for international law, raising mounting concerns about both the safety and effectiveness of UN peacekeeping missions in the increasingly volatile region.