“There is nothing new under the sun” – The Extension of UNIFIL’s mandate in Lebanon

On August 28th, the UN Security Council extended UNIFIL’s mandate an additional year.

The Security Council unanimously agreed to France’s proposal of the decision in this matter. According to the Security Council’s decision, UNIFIL has successfully fulfilled its duty since 2006 and has been kept the peace and security, and therefore, the maximum number of soldiers will be reduced from 15,000 to 13,000.

In addition, the Security Council required the Lebanese government to allow UNIFIL swift and full access to sites it wishes to investigate, including all the sites north of the international border between Lebanon and Israel that are connected to the tunnels.

In practice, it seems that the Security Council’s decision does not change anything. The decision to reduce the number of UNIFIL troops does not make any difference, for the number of UNIFIL troops deployed in Lebanon today is in fact only 10,500 soldiers (much less than the 13,000 troops that UNIFIL has been reduced to).

The UN’s aforementioned requirement of the Lebanese government is pointless. After all, Hezbollah is the one that prevented UNIFIL’s proper conduct according to the mandate given to it, not the Lebanese government. With all due respect to the Lebanese government, it and the LAF do not control the area of UNIFIL’s mandate, but rather Hezbollah does.

It is easy to challenge France’s claim that UNIFIL has fulfilled its duty successfully since 2006. Hezbollah’s activity against Israel on the border over the past few weeks proves otherwise…

You can read about UNIFIL’s activity and efficiency, as well as Alma Research and Education Center’s suggestions regarding it in our article that was published August 19, before the mandate’s extension. ­­­­

*Photo: UNIFIL soldiers on the Lebanese border (Twitter UNIFIL)

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Tal Beeri

Tal Beeri

Sign up for our Newsletter

Sign up to stay current on Israel’s border conflict.
Skip to content