UN Security Council renews mandate of peacekeeping force in Lebanon for one year

The UN Security Council renewed the mandate of its peacekeeping force in Lebanon for another year during a vote on Wednesday.

France hailed the renewal. “As pane holder, France has worked for this renewal, #UNIFIL being key for the stability in Lebanon and the region,” the French Mission to the UN tweeted.

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In a statement announcing the vote, the Security Council requested the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the UN secretary-general to set out “precise benchmarks and timelines” for the deployment of LAF troops in southern Lebanon and in the country’s territorial waters.

Iran-backed Hezbollah and its Shia allies, Amal Movement, have all but full control over the southern part of Lebanon and have blocked UN peacekeepers from carrying out their role on several occasions.

On Wednesday, the Security Council called on the Lebanese government to speed up the deployment of a model LAF regiment in the southern part of the country, which Beirut had previously vowed to do.

The vote to renew UNIFIL’s mandate is annual. Last year, the Security Council asked UNIFIL to take temporary and special measures to assist the LAF with food, fuel, medicine and logistical support.

The UN announced Wednesday that this support had been extended for another six months.

As for tensions between Lebanon and Israel, the Security Council urged both sides to expedite efforts to “visibly mark” the UN-demarcated Blue Line, which is the de-facto land border.

The UN says the Blue Line, marking the line of withdrawal between Lebanon and Israel, remains unmarked for half of its length. “This can lead to tensions when crossings, which may be inadvertent, occur,” the Security Council said on Wednesday.

In an indirect jab at Hezbollah, the Security Council said UN peacekeepers do not require prior authorization or need permission from anyone to carry out their mandated tasks. “It calls on the parties to guarantee UNIFIL’s freedom of movement, including by allowing announced and unannounced patrols,” the Security Council said.

“The Council condemns the harassment and intimidation of UNIFIL personnel, as well as the use of disinformation campaigns against peacekeepers.”

The recent installation of containers is restricting UNIFIL’s access to parts of the Blue Line, the Security Council said. The Council also condemned the presence of unauthorized weapons controlled by armed groups in UNIFIL’s area of operations.

There are currently 10,000 military peacekeepers from 48 troop-contributing countries and another 800 civilian staff in UNIFIL. The peacekeeping force was established in 1978 and had its mandate expanded with Resolution 1701 after the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

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