Explained: What is UNIFIL?

| Video Credit:
The Hindu

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is the global body’s peacekeeping force patrolling southern Lebanon. Currently, the group has come under direct fire from the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), which continues to expands its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Established in 1978 by the UN’s Security Council, UNIFIL was tasked with ensuring the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Tel Aviv invaded Beirut to push back the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

UNIFIL is also tasked with maintaining peace and security in the region and assisting the Lebanese government to regain authority in the area. The 9,532-strong troops monitor movement across the UN-mapped ‘Blue line’ spanning the 120 km border between Israel and Lebanon.

Script: Aniket Singh Chauhan

Editing: Zeeshan Akhtar

Voiceover: Jude Weston

Jerusalem:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the UN chief on Sunday to move peacekeepers deployed in south Lebanon out of “harm’s way”, saying Hezbollah was using them as “human shields”.

His call to UN chief Antonio Guterres came a day after the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) repeated its refusal to withdraw from the border area after five of its members were wounded in the Israel-Hezbollah war.

“Mr Secretary General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately,” Netanyahu said in a video statement issued by his office.

Speaking ahead of a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israeli forces had asked UNIFIL several times to leave, saying that the peacekeepers’ presence had “the effect of providing Hezbollah terrorists with human shields”.

“Your refusal to evacuate the UNIFIL soldiers makes them hostages of Hezbollah. This endangers both them and the lives of our soldiers,” the premier said.

“We regret the harm to UNIFIL soldiers and we are doing our utmost to prevent such harm. But the simplest and most obvious way to ensure this is simply to withdraw them from the danger zone.”

UNIFIL has refused to leave its positions in southern Lebanon.

“There was a unanimous decision to stay because it’s important for the UN flag to still fly high in this region, and to be able to report to the Security Council,” UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told AFP in an interview on Saturday.

He said Israel had asked UNIFIL to withdraw from positions “up to five kilometres (three miles) from the Blue Line” separating both countries, but the peacekeepers refused.

That would have included its 29 positions in south Lebanon.

‘New chapter’

UNIFIL, a mission of about 9,500 troops of various nationalities, was created following Israel’s 1978 invasion of Lebanon.

It is currently tasked with monitoring a ceasefire that ended a 33-day war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah.

Forty contributor nations to UNIFIL said on Saturday that they “strongly condemn recent attacks” on the peacekeepers.

“Such actions must stop immediately and should be adequately investigated,” said the joint statement, posted on X by the Polish UN mission and signed by nations including leading contributors Indonesia, Italy and India.

On Sunday, UNIFIL said it had demanded explanations from the Israeli army over what it said were “shocking violations” against their force, including forcing entry into one of their positions.

Earlier on Sunday morning Israeli tanks had “destroyed” a UNIFIL position and “forcibly entered” there, UNIFIL said.

But the Israeli military said a tank had collided with a UN peacekeeping post when it came under fire during an incident when multiple soldiers were injured.

Late Sunday, the Israeli military said that over the past month about 25 rockets and missiles had been launched at Israel from Hezbollah compounds “embedded near UNIFIL posts” in southern Lebanon.

It said one of the attacks even killed two Israeli soldiers, but did not specify when the incident happened.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the Israeli call on UNIFIL to abandon the south.

“The warning that Netanyahu addressed to… Guterres demanding the removal of the UNIFIL represents a new chapter in the enemy’s approach of not complying with international” norms, Mikati said. Earlier, Netanyahu said the criticism of Israel was misplaced and should be directed at Hezbollah. “Instead of criticising Israel, they should direct their criticism to Hezbollah, which uses UNIFIL as a human shield,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

United Nations peacekeepers (UNIFIL) look at the Lebanese-Israeli border File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The Indian contingent in the United Nations Interim Force in South Lebanon (UNIFIL) will be staying put and performing its duties in the face of Israel’s decision to enter the country amid escalating tensions in the region.

“The (Indian) battalion of more than 900 people is holding its position and everybody is safe,” a UNIFIL source in south Lebanon told PTI over the phone Tuesday (October 1, 2024).

Israel-Hezbollah war LIVE Updates | Israel carries out ground operation in southern Lebanon; IDF calls it limited, localised

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in the early hours of Tuesday (October 1, 2024) that it had launched a “targeted and limited” incursion into south Lebanon several hours ago focused on Hezbollah targets and infrastructure in several Lebanese villages along the border that posed an immediate threat to Israeli towns on the other side of the Blue Line.

“Ground troops operating inside southern Lebanon were being assisted by air and artillery forces,” the IDF said.

Israel’s operation is believed to be aimed at pushing Hezbollah north in line with the UNSC resolution 1701, which requires that the Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers be the only armed force south of the Litani River.

UNIFIL confirmed that the IDF notified it of its intention to undertake “limited” ground incursions into Lebanon, asserting that despite the developments in Lebanon, its peacekeepers will remain in position. It also urged all actors to step back from the escalatory acts.

UNIFIL has around 10,500 peacekeepers drawn from 50 troop-contributing countries, including India. 17 % of its activities are carried out jointly with the Lebanese Armed Forces. A five-vessel Maritime Task Force also complements the UNIFIL.

It was established as per U.N. Security Council resolutions 425 and 426 of 1978 to carry out the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, restore international peace and security and assist the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area.

Later in 2006, after Israel and Hezbollah fought a deadly war, U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 mandated UNIFIL to carry out monitoring of the cessation of hostilities and accompany and support the Lebanese armed forces as they deploy throughout the south, including along the Blue Line.