Unifil, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, has accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of deliberate and shocking violations in recent days. Several of its positions have come under fire, prompting interventions from the UN security council and the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, among others.
What is Unifil and what does it do?
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was established to patrol the country’s southern frontier after Israel invaded in 1978. The UN’s top decision-making body, the security council, has since renewed and expanded its mandate repeatedly, notably during Israel’s 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon between 1982 and 2000. Unifil’s role was further updated at the end of the 2006 war with Hezbollah.
At its core, the agency seeks to keep the peace in areas between Lebanon and Israel. To do so, it monitors any movements of Israeli or Lebanese forces across the “blue line”, a 75-mile (120km) UN-mapped line that has become a de facto border. It is also tasked with helping the Lebanese national army keep the area free of militants. This has not worked because Hezbollah, Lebanon’s most powerful political force, effectively controls the south of the country.
Who are the peacekeepers and where do they operate?
The 10,000-strong Unifil force is drawn from 50 countries, backed by about 800 civilian staff. Indonesia is the biggest contributor with more than 1,200 uniformed personnel, followed by India, Ghana, Nepal and Italy. Spain, France and Ireland also contribute troops and have spoken out for their safety. The area of operations for UN peacekeepers is marked by the Litani River in the north and the blue line in the south. Unifil forces operate from 29 positions across southern Lebanon.
What has happened in recent weeks?
Since Israel invaded Lebanon on 1 October, its forces have repeatedly fired on Unifil positions, as well as on medics and first responders. Unifil has blamed the IDF for a string of violations, including forcibly entering a base on Sunday. The UN peacekeeping chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said on Monday that five peacekeepers had been injured in recent days and that the UN had protested about this to Israel.
What has Israel said?
Israel has demanded the peacekeepers evacuate the area, which would in effect neuter the force. It says Unifil has failed to keep Hezbollah militants – who have engaged in a tit-for-tat war with Israel for years – out of southern Lebanon.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said Israel “will make every effort to prevent Unifil casualties”. This contradicts Unifil’s assertion that it has been deliberately fired on. He also accuses the peacekeepers of “providing a human shield” to Hezbollah.
Both Israel and Hezbollah place their forces near Unifil positions.
Can Unifil fire back when attacked?
Technically yes, although in practice it does not. As a peacekeeping mission, Unifil says its “personnel may exercise their inherent right of self-defence” and may use “proportionate and gradual use of force” to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.
What are Israeli-UN relations like?
Israel has a hostile relationship with the UN and has attacked its schools, medical centres and aid workers. The antagonism is in large part the result of the role that UN aid and rights bodies have played over the decades in protecting Palestinians and highlighting abuses under Israeli occupation.
Israel has long accused the world body of being biased against it. Netanyahu has called it a “house of darkness” and a “swamp of antisemitic bile”. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, who has spoken out against Israel’s killings, was recently made persona non grata.