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United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

February 15, 2024

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Arabic: قوة الأمم المتحدة المؤقتة في لبنان, Hebrew: כוח האו"ם הזמני בלבנון), or UNIFIL (Arabic: يونيفيل, Hebrew: יוניפי״ל), is a UN peacekeeping mission established on 19 March 1978 by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, in order to ensure that the government of Lebanon would restore its effective authority in the area.[1] The 1978 South Lebanon conflict came in the context of Palestinian insurgency in South Lebanon and the Lebanese Civil War.

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
UNIFIL deployment (as of 2018)
AbbreviationUNIFIL
Formation19 March 1978; 45 years ago (1978-03-19)
TypePeacekeeping mission
Legal statusActive
HeadquartersNaqoura, Lebanon
Head
Head of Mission
Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz
Parent organization
United Nations Security Council
Websiteunifil.unmissions.org
Italian Army Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna" squad patrolling the Blue Line during the COVID-19 pandemic

The mandate had to be adjusted twice, due to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. Following the 2006 Lebanon War, the United Nations Security Council enhanced UNIFIL and decided that in addition to the original mandate, it would, among other things, monitor the cessation of hostilities; accompany and support the Lebanese Armed Forces as they deploy throughout the south of Lebanon; and extend its assistance to help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations and the voluntary and safe return of displaced persons.

UNIFIL's mandate is renewed annually by the United Nations Security Council; it was most recently extended on 1 September 2023 with the passing of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2695. It is composed of 10,000 peacekeepers from 46 nations, tasked with helping the Lebanese Army keep the south of the country protected.[2] Its funding is approved on an annual basis by the General Assembly. It had a budget of $474 million for the period July 2018 to June 2019.[3]

Mandate edit

 
Dutch UNIFIL base, 1981
 
A Finnish XA-180 in the UNIFIL operation in Lebanon
 
Fijian soldiers visiting UNIFIL OP during a patrol

According to its Mandate, established by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426 in 1978, UNIFIL is tasked with the following objectives:[4]

  • confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon
  • restore international peace and security
  • assist the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area.

In addition, several further Security Council resolutions have reaffirmed the mission's mandate, including:

History edit

Main article: Lebanese Civil War

The first UNIFIL troops deployed in the area on 23 March 1978 were reassigned from other UN peacekeeping operations in the area (United Nations Emergency Force, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone).[1] They were deployed after Israel launched Operation Litani earlier in the month, in response to a cross border raid by Palestinians based in Lebanon. UNIFIL made its headquarters in Naqoura close to the Lebanese-Israeli border.[8] The majority of the force's initial personnel were provided by Canada, Iran and Sweden with support from France, Nepal and Norway. The initial force was established at 4,000 troops, but this was increased to 6,000 in May 1978. Israeli forces withdrew from the area on 13 June 1978, after which South Lebanon Army (SLA) forces under Saad Haddad remained in the area. UNIFIL began patrolling operations and established a series of positions including checkpoints, roadblocks and observation posts. Nevertheless, UNIFIL operations during this time were hindered by restrictions that were imposed on its freedom of movement and a lack of co-operation by all parties to the conflict. There were also several attacks on its personnel, including ambushes, kidnappings, shelling and sniping. As a result, only limited progress was made in fulfilment of its mandate between 1978 and 1982.[9] During the occupation, UNIFIL's function was mainly to provide humanitarian aid amidst the Lebanese Civil War.[10]

Lebanese Civil War (until 1990) edit

Main article: Multinational Force in Lebanon

Prior to the 1982 Lebanon War, on 2 January 1982 two Ghanaian soldiers guarding a UNIFIL position were attacked by unidentified persons and one of the soldiers was shot and subsequently died.[11] In February 1982, the force was increased by a further 1,000 troops.[12] During the 1982 Lebanon War, commencing on 6 June 1982, Israeli forces advanced into south Lebanon. Despite being ordered to block the advance, the UN positions were either bypassed or overrun,[13] primarily by the SLA forces under Saad Haddad.[citation needed] This was the main Lebanese paramilitary force supported by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Southern Lebanon.[10] The UN force was overwhelmed within a day. At least one Norwegian peacekeeper was killed in the initial attack.[14] Following this, UNIFIL focused primarily on the distribution of aid and medical support, while a new force, the Multinational Force in Lebanon assumed primacy, being deployed in Beirut until being withdrawn in March 1984.[15]

South Lebanon conflict (until 2000) edit

Beginning in 1985, Israel scaled back its permanent positions in Lebanon, although the IDF maintained some forces in Southern Lebanon, along with the SLA, to establish a security zone to prevent attacks on Israel from Lebanon. These forces were engaged by several groups, including Hezbollah.[16][17]

UNIFIL's role during this time was limited to mainly manning checkpoints and undertaking patrols, as its operations were constrained by the Israeli security zone in the south. Its personnel were attacked by elements on both sides of the conflict during this time, and financial issues also hampered UNIFIL operations as some UN member states withheld funding for the operation. In 1986, the force was reorganised when France decreased its contribution to UNIFIL. There was a proposal to convert the force into a observation group around this time, although this was ultimately rejected.[17]

The period saw an Israel invasion in the 1982 Operation Peace in Galilee and another on a smaller scale in the 1993 Operation Accountability. In 1996 south Lebanon was bombarded by the Israeli army, airforce and navy for seventeen days. According to Amnesty International during the 1996 bombardment UNIFIL compounds and vehicles came under Israeli aircraft or artillery fire 270 times.[18] This included the shelling of the Fijian UNIFIL compound near Qana where 102 villagers sheltering were killed. In April 2000, Israel notified the UN Secretary General that it was withdrawing from south Lebanon. This process was completed by June 2000. After this, UNIFIL was able to resume its military tasks along the "Blue Line" (the UN identified line of withdrawal for the IDF) and the adjacent areas, where UNIFIL sought to maintain the ceasefire through patrols, observation from fixed positions, and close contact between Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), as well as providing humanitarian assistance to the local population.[17]

Conflict in 2006 edit

See also: Attacks on United Nations personnel during the 2006 Lebanon War

According to UNIFIL press releases, there have been dozens of such incidents of UN posts coming under fire during the 2006 Lebanon War.[19] In his 21 July 2006 report about the UNIFIL activities 21 January – 18 July 2006, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan stated that "Some Hezbollah positions remained in close proximity to United Nations positions, especially in the Hula area, posing a significant security risk to United Nations personnel and equipment."[20]

Combat-related incidents edit

 
Italian UN soldiers arriving in Lebanon, 2006
  •  
    UNIFIL soldiers and staff from the MV Serenade evacuate refugees from Tyre, 20 July 2006
    On 17 July, a UNIFIL international staff member and his wife were killed when Israeli aircraft bombed the Hosh District of Tyre, Lebanon.
  • On 23 July, Hezbollah fire wounded an Italian observer.
  • On 25 July, Hezbollah opened small arms fire at a UNIFIL convoy, forcing it to retreat.
  • On 25 July, four soldiers from the Ghanaian battalion were lightly injured after an Israeli tank shell hit a UNIFIL position during fighting in Southern Lebanon on 24 July 2006.[21]
  • Shrapnel from tank shells fired by the IDF seriously wounded an Indian soldier on 16 July 2006.[22]
  • On 25 July, four UNTSO observers from Austria, Canada, China and Finland were killed by Israeli strikes on an OGL (Observer Group Lebanon) patrol base near Khiam in southern Lebanon. According to the UN, the Israelis stated they were responding to "Hezbollah fire from that vicinity" and the four had taken shelter in a bunker under the post. The area around the site was hit by a precision guided bomb from an Israeli jet and shelled a total of 14 times by Israeli artillery[23] throughout the day despite warning calls made by UN personnel to the IDF.[24] However, General Alain Pellegrini, then commander of UNIFIL, claims that he attempted to call Israeli officials "five or six times", but never got past their secretaries. Later, Israeli artillery shelling resumed as a rescue team tried to clear the rubble.[25]
  • On 29 July, two Indian soldiers were wounded when their post was damaged during an Israeli airstrike in Southern Lebanon.
  • On 6 August, a Hezbollah rocket hit the headquarters of the Chinese UNIFIL contingent, wounding three Chinese soldiers.
  • On 12 August, a Ghanaian soldier was wounded when Israeli artillery shelled the area near the village of Haris.

From August 2006 edit

Visit by Secretary-General edit

In order to stress the importance of implementing Security Council resolution 1701, UN Secretary-General Annan himself paid a visit to UNIFIL on the ground in August 2006.[16]

Reinforcements edit

 
A soldier from the Italian Army stands guard during the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon

By July 2006, UNIFIL's strength had dropped to its lowest, with only 1,980 personnel deployed.[26] However, following the cease-fire, UNIFIL received a large number of reinforcements, up to 15,000 men, and heavy equipment. France committed to increase its complement from 400 to 2,000 men and send Leclerc heavy tanks and AMX 30 AuF1 self-propelled artillery,[27] in addition to the forces deployed in Opération Baliste. Italy committed to deploy 3,000 troops,[28] while Qatar offered to send between 200 and 300 troops.[29] As the French were preparing to deploy, French commander of UNIFIL Alain Pellegrini and the country's foreign minister, Philippe Douste-Blazy, stated that France would not intervene to disarm Hezbollah.[30][31]

A naval component of UNIFIL was set up to assist the Lebanese Navy as an interim measure to prevent arms proliferation to Hezbollah while the Lebanese Navy builds its capacity.[32] For a period the force was German-led under the command of a German admiral before handing over to the Italians.[33]

The Indonesian contingent received 12 VAB (Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé) on 17 February 2007, as the part of the second wave of shipments from the agreement between the French and Indonesian governments. Among the equipment sent with the second wave of VABs were 10 tool boxes (pioneering equipment), 10 armored vehicle radio communications units, HMG (Heavy Machine Gun) shooter shields, and 40 water jerrycans.[34]

On 16 March 2009, KRI Diponegoro, an Indonesian Sigma-class corvette joined the UNIFIL Naval Task Force.[35] In August 2010, two Indonesian soldiers were criticized after they escaped from clashes between Israel and Lebanon by fleeing in a taxi.[36]

The Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Ambassador Dan Gillerman, met with UNIFIL commander, Maj.-Gen. Claudio Graziano, on 15 August 2008, after Israel was accused of unilaterally violating United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 by the almost daily overflights of Lebanese airspace, the continued occupation of the village of Ghajar, and Israel's refusal to submit maps of areas on which it dropped cluster munitions during the 2006 Lebanese war.[37]

Following the war, British military historian John Keegan predicted that Israel would in the future invade Lebanon and continue attacking until Hezbollah's system of tunnels and bunkers was completely destroyed, as Israel would not tolerate a "zone of invulnerability" occupied by a sworn enemy, or a double threat posed by Hezbollah and Hamas rockets, and that Israel might first attack the Gaza Strip. Keegan noted that any IDF entry into Southern Lebanon would risk provoking a clash with UNIFIL, but that it is unlikely to deter Israel, as it tends to behave with "extreme ruthlessness" when national survival is at stake.[38]

 
Indonesian National Armed Forces UNIFIL peacekeepers, 2007

In 2010, a series of standoffs and clashes erupted between UNIFIL troops and Lebanese villagers in the border region. Villagers accused French peacekeepers of provocative and intrusive patrols, and of taking pictures of people inside their homes. People of Aitaroun town, Marjayoun, accused the French regiments of driving their heavy vehicles through their two-month-old tobacco fields, which support many families. UNIFIL was also accused of having stepped up its patrols and of failing to coordinate with the Lebanese Army. In July 2010, the most serious incident occurred when the French regiments decided to carry out exercises unilaterally, without Lebanese units or other regiments. When they went into narrow alleys of Lebanese villages some residents first tried to redirect them out of their private areas. The French fired against the civilians, arrested a youth driving a motorcycle, and destroyed the vehicle. When other civilians saw that, they surrounded and attacked the UNIFIL French troops without any weapons. The vehicles' windows were smashed by stones from dozens of civilians of all ages, and the French commander was wounded. The French troops were forcibly disarmed by the villagers, and weapons were then handed over to the Lebanese Army. The French unit could not explain why they behaved unilaterally. Their ambassador to the UN said the civilian attack "was not spontaneous". Many troops, including the Finnish, Irish, Qataris and Indonesians pulled out of UNIFIL in 2007–2008. Some of these nations had been there for over 30 years (the Irish and Finnish), and one of the reasons for the withdrawal was reportedly concerns about the changing rules of engagement following the arrival of NATO forces in August 2006 and because of high-level German and French statements expressing unlimited support to the Israeli side.[citation needed]

At the request of the United Nations, 7,000 additional Lebanese soldiers were deployed to South Lebanon as approved by the Lebanese Cabinet.[when?][citation needed]

UNIFIL force in 2010 Israel–Lebanon border clash edit

 
Irish Army peacekeepers during an inspection while serving with UNIFIL on 19 September 2013.
See also: 2010 Israel–Lebanon border clash

The 2010 Israel–Lebanon border clash occurred on 3 August 2010. It was the deadliest incident along the border since the devastating 2006 Lebanon War. The UN force stationed in southern Lebanon urged "maximum restraint" following the clashes along the so-called Blue Line, a UN-drawn border separating Lebanon from Israel. UNIFIL peacekeepers were in the area where the clashes took place.[39] United Nations peacekeepers tried to hold off the routine Israeli tree-pruning that led to a deadly border clash with Lebanese soldiers. An Indonesian UN battalion was on the scene, and they did their best to try to prevent it, but they were unable to.[40]

Indonesian peacekeepers tried to no avail to calm the situation before the clashes erupted. However, the fighting increasingly intensified, so the small contingent of UNIFIL forces was ordered to retreat or find cover then report back to the base. The Indonesian contingent, under intense small arms fire and shelling between the two opposing forces, retreated and returned to their base, but two soldiers fell behind and briefly became isolated before the stunned and exhausted soldiers were helped by some locals.[36]

UN peacekeepers did not escape the confrontation unscathed. Local TV reported that in some cases, villagers attempted to block UNIFIL vehicles from fleeing the combat zone, demanding that they return and fight. However, current and former UNIFIL officials said that at that point in the conflict, it was out of peacekeepers' hands. One former UNIFIL official explained that he has been in these situations before, and when the opposing sides are determined to shoot each other, there is nothing UNIFIL force can do. Regarding concerns about UNIFIL's neutrality, a former UNIFIL commander highlighted the importance of perception, stating that if UNIFIL forces intervened to protect IDF, UNIFIL would be accused by Hezbollah or the Lebanese people of protecting the Israelis. On the other hand, if UNIFIL forces were seen to favour the Lebanese, Israel would accuse UNIFIL of collaborating with Hezbollah.[41]

Post-2006 deployment edit

 
UNIFIL base

Post 2006, UNIFIL was deployed throughout Southern Lebanon (south of the Litani River) and primarily along the United Nations-drawn Blue Line, the border between Israel and Lebanon. Since then, the force's activities have centered around monitoring military activity between Hezbollah and the Israeli Defense Forces with the aim of reducing tensions and allaying tension along the border. UNIFIL has also played an important role in clearing landmines, assisting displaced persons and providing humanitarian assistance to civilians in the underdeveloped region of Southern Lebanon. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which passed as a result of the 2006 Lebanon War, its mandate and rules of engagement changed. The mandate changed to allow up to 15,000 personnel in order to assist the Lebanese Armed Forces in deploying in Southern Lebanon to implement the Lebanese government's sovereignty. The rules of engagement changed to allow the troops to open fire in certain cases: mostly in cases of self-defense but also in order to protect civilians, UN personnel and facilities.[42] The new resolution states that UNIFIL can "take all the necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces, and as it deems with its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind."[43] On 27 August 2006, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that UNIFIL would not intercept arms shipments from Syria, unless requested to do so by Lebanon.[44]

Maritime Task Force edit

 
Indonesian Navy corvettes KRI Bung Tomo and KRI Usman Harun steam along the Mediterranean Sea. KRI Usman Harun arrived to relieve KRI Bung Tomo in UNIFIL's Maritime Task Force mission

The Maritime Task Force (MTF) is the naval component of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). As of February 2012, the MTF is under the command of Rear Admiral Wagner Lopes de Moraes Zamith of Brazil.[45] The Brazilian frigate Constituição is the flagship of the fleet comprising vessels from Brazil, Bangladesh, Germany, Greece, Indonesia and Turkey.[45] After the 2006 Lebanon War, the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force (MTF) was established to assist the Lebanese Naval Forces in preventing the smuggling of illegal shipments in general and armament shipments in particular. With its establishment in October 2006, the force was led by the German Navy which was also the major contributor to the force.[46] The Germans lead the MTF up until 29 February 2008 when they passed control over to EUROMARFOR – a force made up of ships from Portugal, Spain, Italy and France (of which the latter three countries sent vessels to the force in Lebanon).[47][48]

Personnel edit

 
C.I.S.S. humanitarian staff with Italian UNIFIL soldiers in Lebanon
 
UNIFIL Sisu Pasi in the snow, close to the Israeli border in South-Lebanon, 1998

As of 19 June 2018, UNIFIL employed 10,480 military personnel, including 500 women, from 41 countries. It is supported by 239 international civilian staff, including 78 women, and 583 national civilian staff, including 153 women.[49]: 13  It is led by Spanish Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz.[50]

The UNIFIL military component also includes a contingent from Kazakhstan. The Kazakh peacekeeping forces joined the mission for the first time ever in late 2018. A total of 120 soldiers from Kazakhstan were deployed as part of the Indian battalion in Lebanon on 31 October 2018.[51]

In 2019, UNSC resolution 2485 extended the mission's mandate until August 2020 and reduced the troop ceiling from 15,000 to 13,000.[52]

Protecting cultural heritage edit

In April 2019, the United Nations Interim Force deployed a cultural asset in Lebanon with Blue Shield International. It was shown that cultural property protection (carried out by military and civil specialists) forms the basis for the future peaceful and economic development of a city, region or country in many conflict zones. The need for training and coordination of the military and civilian participants, including the increased involvement of the local population, became apparent especially at World Heritage Sites. The connection between cultural user disruption and causes of flight was explained by the President of Blue Shield International, Karl von Habsburg, who stated: "Cultural assets are part of the identity of the people who live in a certain place. If you destroy their culture, you also destroy their identity. Many people are uprooted, often have no prospects anymore and subsequently flee from their homeland."[53][54][55]

Contributing countries edit

As of 14 January 2024, the total number of personnel in the mission is 10,180:[56]

Country Troops Support Roles Note(s)
  Argentina 3
  Armenia 32
  Austria 176
  Bangladesh 119 The Bangladesh Navy deployed the Type 056 class corvette BNS Sangram, led by Captain Faisal Mohammad Arifur Rahman Bhuiyan, from September 2020.

Previously, the frigate BNS Osman and large patrol craft (LPC) BNS Madhumati were deployed to the mission from 17 May 2010 to 14 June 2014. The frigate BNS Ali Haider and LPC BNS Nirmul were deployed from 14 June 2014 to 2018. The corvette BNS Bijoy was deployed from 1 January 2018 to August 2020. More than two thousand personnel of the Bangladesh Navy have completed the mission in Lebanon.

[57][58][59]
  Brazil 11 Maritime Task Force (MTF) commander, Brazilian Navy frigate Independência [45]
  Brunei Darussalam 29 [60][61]
  Cambodia 185
  China 415 200 engineers currently in Lebanon clearing mines and unexploded ordnance, medical team, peacekeeping troops [62][63]
  Colombia 1
  Croatia 1
  Cyprus 2
  El Salvador 52
  Estonia 1 [64]
  Fiji 1 In the past 134 [65]
  Finland 207 Part of the French Force Commander Reserve, FCR [66][67]
  France 659 The French Army contributed 13 Leclerc main battle tanks in Lebanon[68] to UNIFIL ground forces until February 2007. France also continuously deploys part of their peace keeping operations rotations of French Paratroopers.[69][70]
In addition, French Navy ships with 1,700 sailors are deployed off Lebanon in Opération Baliste, and assisting in UNIFIL operations. 		[71]
  Germany 197 Naval ships to secure the Lebanese coast and prevent arms smuggling [72]
  Ghana 876
  Greece 113 Elli-class frigate, HS Kanaris, to patrol against arms smugglers [73]
  Guatemala 2
  Hungary 16 Topographers
  India 895 One Standard Infantry Battalion of the Indian Army (Regulars), along with support components from the Corps of Engineers (Sappers), Corps of Signals and other logistic Arms and Services [74]
  Indonesia 1230 850 men in a mechanized infantry battalion, 75 men in a military police unit, 200 men in a force protection company, 11 men assigned to UNIFIL's headquarters staff, and 111 men aboard KRI Diponegoro (Sigma-class corvette of the Indonesian Navy) [75][76][77]
  Ireland 329 The Irish Army has suffered the most casualties (48 fatalities) in UNIFIL followed by Fiji and France since 1978; contributing over 30,000 peacekeepers over a period of 23 years. [67][78][79]
  Italy 1060 Assumed charge of UNIFIL ground forces in February 2007 [80]
  Kazakhstan 9
  Kenya 3
  Latvia 3
  Malaysia 834 Administrative (200) and patrol/quick reaction team (160; including commandos and special forces). Excluding the Brunei unit.
  Malta 10
  Mongolia 4
    Nepal 874 Infantry battalion [81]
  Netherlands 1 [82]
  Nigeria 2
  North Macedonia 1
  Peru 1
  Poland 211
  Qatar 1 The only Arab nation to contribute to UNIFIL, deployed 205 soldiers to Lebanon in 2007. They mostly provided humanitarian assistance, and three logistics officers worked at UNIFIL headquarters [83]
  Republic of Korea 311 Tasked with policing, providing medical assistance and performing cultural exchange
  Serbia 182 8 staff officers, 5 national support element and 164 infantry [84]
  Sierra Leone 3
  Spain 676 De-mining and beach cleaning, mechanized infantry battalion (1 infantry platoon from El Salvador), cavalry squadron, combat engineers, helicopter unit [85][86][87]
  Sri Lanka 125 Mechanized infantry company with combat support personal and vehicles [88]
  United Republic of Tanzania 125
  Turkey 179 [89][90]
  United Kingdom 2
  Uruguay 1
  Zambia 2

Former contributors edit

Last number forces Support Roles Ref
  Belarus 5 The Belarus Contingent consist of one surgical team and staff officer in UNIFIL [91]
  Belgium 105 De-miners, medical and reconstruction teams, 1 Karel Doorman-class frigate [92][82]
  Bulgaria 160 1 Wielingen-class frigate [93]
  Chile 338
  Czech Republic 138
  Denmark 204 2 patrol boats as force protection for German contingent and 144 logistic soldiers, and 10 firefighters from the Danish Emergency Management Agency [94][95]
  Dominican Republic 25
  Iran 600 One reinforced company of the Iranian battalion from the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force which was released later and replaced by 600 troop battalion [96]
  Japan 205
  Mexico 2
  Netherlands 839 / 155 / 718 Infantry battalion Dutchbatt: 839, of which 7 UNIFIL staff (1979–1983); Infantry battalion Dutchcoy: 155 (1983–1985); Maritime task force: 1 frigate + 718 military personnel (2006–2008) [97][98][82]
  Norway 900 Infantry battalion NORBATT, engineering unit NORMAINTCOY, rotary wing force NORAIR, medical unit NORMEDCOY, and naval ships to secure the Lebanese coast and prevent arms smuggling [99][100][101]
  Philippines 340 [102]
  Portugal 140 Engineering unit [103]
  Russian Federation 400 Engineers [104]
  Slovakia 6 Medical team
  Slovenia 37 The Slovenian army participated in the mission from 2006 to 31 July 2023 [105]
  Sweden 600 One company from UNEF II 1978 to establish UNIFIL, one field hospital 1980–1992, one logistics battalion 1986–1994. The Swedish Armed Forces have contributed with 8,148 soldiers and sailors to UNIFIL since 1980

1 Göteborg-class corvette

[94][106][107]
   Switzerland 198
  Ukraine 127
  Vietnam 32

Assessment and controversy edit

A former Israeli diplomat, Itamar Rabinovich, criticised the efficacy of UNIFIL, describing it as "a joke" and stating "They've been there for 26 years and since then, there have been so many skirmishes [along the border]."[108] Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also said "We didn't like very much UNIFIL which was very useless and very helpless. Look what happened. Did you hear of any particular efforts of the United Nations UNIFIL force in the south of Lebanon to prevent the attacks against Israel in the first place. So they were not useful and that is why we were unhappy with them."[109]

Both Israel and Hezbollah have accused UNIFIL of bias. Israel claims the force has allowed, if not aided, Hezbollah's replenishment of military power. Hezbollah, in turn, alleges that "certain contingents" of UNIFIL are spying for, if not assisting, Israel.[110] Journalist Alain Pellegrini alleged that UN reports on Lebanon were reaching Israeli intelligence.[111] During deadly skirmishes between Lebanese and Israeli forces in 2010, UNIFIL was heavily criticized for failing to intervene, with two Indonesian soldiers filmed fleeing the battleground in a taxi.[112]

UNIFIL has addressed the accusations of bias levied by both sides. On 26 July 2006, a former spokesman stated that upon the mission's deployment in 1978, UNIFIL was "accused of being sympathetic to Palestinians", as Hezbollah had not yet been established. "A peacekeeping force does not come here with pre-set enemies. There is no enemy [inaudible] in a peacekeeping force. UNIFIL is a peacekeeping force. It's not an Israeli combat force or an anti-terror force, as they would like it to be. As long as we don't serve their direct interests, they are going to denigrate it as much as they can."[113]

Israeli concerns edit

Among Israel's criticisms of UNIFIL are that it maintains dialogue with Hezbollah, which it views as a terrorist organization, and treats Israeli and Hezbollah violations of UNSC Resolution 1701 equally, while Israel views its violations of Lebanese airspace as less severe than Hezbollah's violations including crossings of the blue line and rocket launches, namely because the prsence of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in and of itself is in violation of Resolution 1701. Israel and its primary allies in the west consider Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization and not a legitimate political party or representative of Lebanon. UNIFIL was accused of complicity in the fatal abduction of IDF soldiers in October 2000, and Israel further blamed it for obstructing its investigation by initially denying the existence of the attack and, upon the leaking of the incident's occurrence, refusing to supply videos for several months.[114][115]

Prior to the July 2006 Lebanon War, Israel had been lobbying for UNIFIL to either take a more active role vis-a-vis Hezbollah—for example, preventing Hezbollah from stationing near UNIFIL posts to fire at the IDF and into northern Israel—or to step out of the region, which would thereby void the Lebanese government's excuse for not deploying Lebanese Armed Forces along the border.[116]

UNIFIL also came under criticism during the 2006 Lebanon War for broadcasting detailed reports of Israeli troop movements, numbers, and positions on their website which "could have exposed Israeli soldiers to grave danger", while making no such reports about Hezbollah. UNIFIL's actions could have been motivated by the fact that Israel was, as a response to Hezbollah rocket fire (which Hezbollah alleges to have been a reaction to Israeli "border violations") and to the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers, conducting a ground invasion of Lebanon at that time. Israel was concerned when it was reported that Indonesia was being considered to replace Italy as commander of UNIFIL's naval force. As Indonesia does not recognize Israel, and the two countries have no diplomatic or military relations, Israel expressed concern that cooperation with the IDF, especially the Israeli Navy, could deteriorate.[117]

A 2010 book published by Norwegian journalist Odd Karsten Tveit revealed that the Norwegian Army was complicit in the escape of two Lebanese men who were arrested by the Israeli Army and being held in Khiam prison. According to the book, in 1992, two detained Lebanese men escaped from Khiam prison. Fearing that they would face torture or execution if caught by the Israel Defense Forces or South Lebanon Army, the soldiers dressed the detainees in UN uniforms, and placed them in a UNIFIL convoy which left Southern Lebanon through Israeli roadblocks. Shortly afterward, Israeli Army commander Moshe Tamir visited the Norwegian battalion's camp, and accused Norwegian commander Hagrup Haukland of "sheltering terrorists". Immediately after the confrontation, the Lebanese men were smuggled onto a bus used by Norwegian peacekeepers on leave, which took them to Beirut.[118]

Hezbollah concerns edit

Hezbollah supporters have accused UNIFIL of siding with Israel, especially since the passage of Resolution 1701 which they view as one-sided. On 16 October 2006, Lebanon's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah declared that the UN force had "come to protect Israel, not Lebanon",[119] echoing the sentiment of the leader of Hezbollah – Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, who previously said "They are ashamed of us, brothers and sisters. They are ashamed of saying they came to defend us, but they talk about defending Israel."[120]

Southern Lebanese reception edit

 
A 2004 Easter mass in South Lebanon by the French UNIFIL contingent

In the summer of 2010, relations soured between the French contingent and residents in several villages that led to injuries on both sides, after a French regiment began an exercise to identify Hezbollah members that included searching homes, taking photographs, using sniffer dogs, and questioning residents. Residents accused them of violating private property, treating them with contempt, and of not coordinating with the Lebanese army. The residents made clear that their conflict was only with the French contingent, and that relations with other contingents were good. Following discussions between UNIFIL commanders, ambassadors of countries with soldiers in UNIFIL, and the commander of the Lebanese army, an agreement was reached under which sniffer dogs would no longer be used, UNIFIL soldiers would refrain from entering Lebanese homes and yards, and only Lebanese army soldiers would carry out searches of homes.[110][121]

Generally, however, relations between UNIFIL and local residents have been good. UNIFIL forces have offered various services to the locals, and have introduced elements of their own culture. India's UNIFIL contingent has carried out small-scale development projects, operates medical and dental clinics, veterinary care for local animals, and also runs entertainment camps for children and yoga classes.[122][123] The Indonesian UNIFIL contingent (INDOBATT) also gained a good reputation among the South Lebanese people through the Civil Military Coordination (CIMIC) program implemented by the contingent. This program has included many community-based activities, including computer courses for local residents, medical assistance and also technical assistance in rebuilding social facilities.[124][125][126] The French contingent has taught poetry courses to local Francophone residents as well as French vocabulary and grammar to primary school students in 15 schools, the Italian contingent has given cooking lessons, the South Korean contingent has taught Taekwondo, and the Chinese contingent has taught Tai chi.[127][128]

 
Korps Marinir BTR-80A of Indonesian Contingent of UNIFIL during Medal Parade Ceremony at Indobatt Compound in Adchit al-Qusayr, Southern Lebanon, 2020

An official source within the Lebanese government informed Al Jazeera that, despite UNIFIL's shortcomings, the force had been responsible for regularly hosting and mediating negotiations between Lebanese and Israeli forces, helping to defuse tensions.[129] The source also claimed that prior to the mission's deployment in 1978, southern Lebanon was far more chaotic and unstable, and that UNIFIL's departure would lead to an outbreak of more conflict.[129]

UNIFIL confrontations edit

UNIFIL-Israel edit

On 22 September 2006, French Air Force jets were seen over the skies of Beirut during Hassan Nasrallah's victory speech, possibly trying to protect him from an Israeli assassination attempt.[citation needed] Nasrallah told the crowd that he had no fear in addressing the masses directly, rather than through armored glass. On 28 September, two Israeli Merkava tanks, an armored bulldozer, and a number of military vehicles entered Lebanon and established a road block 500 meters away from the road leading to Marwahin village, the IDF force asked to advance deeper into Lebanese territory but they were confronted by four United Nations Leclerc tanks operated by French troops, which blocked their advance. The confrontation lasted for half an hour in which Israeli soldiers confiscated the identity cards of photographers at the scene, claiming they may give pictures of the Israeli military to Hezbollah members. According to American and German correspondents, the French retreated, while the French commander claimed that the Israelis had turned back.[130][131]

Following the war, Hezbollah was widely reported to be rearming with the help of Iran and Syria, which were reportedly smuggling weaponry and munitions into Lebanon to replenish Hezbollah's depleted stocks.[132] Israel accused UNIFIL of failing to prevent Hezbollah's rearmament and thus failing to implement Resolution 1701. The Israeli Air Force began flying reconnaissance sorties over Lebanon to monitor Hezbollah's rearmament, with Israel announcing they would continue until Resolution 1701 was fully implemented. This led to repeated confrontations with UNIFIL.[133]

On 3 October 2006, an Israeli fighter jet penetrated the 2-nautical-mile (3.7 km) defense perimeter of the French Navy frigate Courbet without answering radio calls, triggering a diplomatic incident. Israel apologized after official protests from the French government.[134][135]

On 24 October, six Israeli Air Force F-16 jets flew over the German Navy intelligence ship Alster, patrolling off Israel's coast just south of the Lebanese border. The German Defense Ministry said that the planes had given off infrared decoys and one of the aircraft had fired two shots into the air, which had not been specifically aimed. The Israeli military said that a German helicopter took off from the vessel without having coordinated this with Israel, and denied vehemently having fired any shots at the vessel and said "as of now" it also had no knowledge of the jets launching flares over it. Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz telephoned his German counterpart Franz Josef Jung to clarify that "Israel has no intention to carry out any aggressive actions" against the German peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, who are there as part of UNIFIL to enforce an arms embargo against Hezbollah. Germany confirmed the consultations, and that both sides were interested in maintaining good cooperation.[136][137][138] The Alster's crew had recorded several overflights by Israeli jets in the previous weeks, but claimed that the Israeli aircraft had always stayed at high altitude. The week before the incident, Israeli jets had confronted a German naval helicopter, but turned back after the Germans identified themselves.[139]

Shortly after the war, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, reporting to the Security Council, stated that there were no serious incidents or confrontations, but that peacekeepers reported Israeli flyovers "almost on a daily basis".[140] UNIFIL commander Alain Pellegrini claimed that Israeli flyovers violated the cease-fire and Lebanese sovereignty, and warned that if the diplomatic efforts to stop the overflights failed, force might be used to stop them. Israeli military sources reported that Israel would bomb UNIFIL positions if Israeli aircraft were attacked.[141][142] On 23 October, sources in the Israeli defense establishment said that intelligence gathered by the sorties had revealed that Hezbollah was rebuilding its military infrastructure. Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz told the cabinet that surveillance flights over Lebanon would continue in light of the fact that arms smuggling between Syria and Lebanon continued.[143]

On 31 October 2006, eight Israeli F-15s flew over many areas of Lebanon, including Beirut.[144][145] The jets also flew over a French position in Lebanon. According to the French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie, the planes came in at what was interpreted as an attack formation, and the peacekeepers were "two seconds away" from firing at the jets with an anti-aircraft missile.[146][147]

On 6 September, during a European Union meeting in Brussels, the French Defense Minister announced that the Israeli Air Force had stopped mock air attacks over UNIFIL positions. On 17 November, two Israeli F-15s overflew UN positions at low altitude and high speed while two reconnaissance planes circled the headquarters of the French battalion. French peacekeepers responded by readying their anti-aircraft batteries, and warned that Israeli warplanes conducting mock attacks could be fired on.[148]

The IAF continued its reconnaissance flights over Lebanon, and despite strong protests, UNIFIL peacekeeping forces did not follow through on their threats to fire at Israeli aircraft. The Lebanese government reported hundreds of overflights by Israeli aircraft, and also claimed that Israeli troops had illegally crossed the border dozens of times, including into the disputed Shebaa farms area.[149]

UNIFIL-Militias edit

On 24 June 2007, six UNIFIL soldiers (three Colombians and three Spanish) were killed after their vehicle was hit by an explosive device; two others (both Spanish) were injured in the incident.[150][151] No group has yet admitted responsibility, although the Israeli military believed the attack was perpetrated by members of al-Qaeda.[152]

UNIFIL casualties edit

Fatalities edit

 
The entrance to the UN base where four UN peacekeepers were killed during the 2006 conflict
 
Lebanon cedar planted in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland to commemorate Irish soldiers who died on UN service.

As of 14 January 2022, UNIFIL has had 324 fatalities since 1978.[153] They include the following nationalities:

Country Death Total
  Bangladesh 1
  Belgium 4
  Canada 1
  China 1
  Denmark 1
  El Salvador 1
  Fiji 35
  Finland 11
  France 37
  Ghana 31
  India 5
  Indonesia 2
  Iran 1
  Ireland 48
  Italy 7
  Lebanon 7
  Malaysia 3
  Nepal 28
  Netherlands 9
  Nigeria 10
  Norway 21
  Philippines 1
  Poland 7
  Senegal 16
  Spain 12
  Sri Lanka 1
  Sweden 7
  Turkey 1
  United Kingdom 4
 
 
Unfinished memorial for UNIFIL casualties in Tyre, 2019
Date Incident
29 March 1978: A Swedish soldier, Karl-Oscar Johansson was killed and another, Marc Lindoberg, was injured when their vehicle hit a landmine in the vicinity of the Khardala Bridge.[154] Johansson was UNIFIL's first fatality.
1979: Three Fijian soldiers shot in ambush by PFLP.[155]
16 March 1981: Three Nigerian soldiers killed in bombardment by SLA artillery.[156]
25 June 1981: Two Fijian soldiers were killed and one wounded by PLO gunmen. They had been among the nine Fijian soldiers captured by the PFLP in an ambush. Three of them where tortured and ‘executed’ one by one by being shot in the head. One survived.[157][158]
27 October 1982: An Irish soldier, Private Michael McAleavey, opened fire and killed three other Irish soldiers. He originally claimed they had been killed by Lebanese gunmen, but later admitted the killings, saying he had "snapped" due to dehydration and heat exhaustion. He received a life sentence at court martial, being paroled in 2009.[159]
22 August 1986: An Irish soldier was killed and two others wounded by a roadside bomb. Two heavily armed men with bomb-making equipment were subsequently caught by a UNIFIL patrol and handed over to Lebanese police.[160]
28 September 1986: Three French soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb while jogging. UN officials attributed the attack to Shiite fundamentalists, particularly Hezbollah.[161]
20 November 1986: Three Fijian soldiers and three Lebanese were killed in a suicide car bombing, and three UNIFIL soldiers, two Lebanese civilians, and an SLA soldier were injured. The car, with two occupants inside, had run through a UNIFIL roadblock, apparently aiming for the Israeli border, but after being fired at as it approached an SLA roadblock, it returned to the UNIFIL roadblock, and exploded as Fijian and SLA soldiers approached.[162]
11 January 1987: An Irish soldier, Corporal Dermot McLoughlin, was killed when an Israeli tank shelled an Irish UNIFIL position. The Israelis had opened fire after spotting a large squad of guerrillas near the position. Two senior Israeli officers were later disciplined over the incident.[163][164]
24 February 1989: An Irish soldier was shot dead by SLA in Haddatha.[165][166]
21 March 1989: Three Irish soldiers were killed by a landmine on the road to their outpost near Baraachit. Officers on the ground are reported as believing that the SLA were responsible and that UNIFIL were being deliberately targeted.[167]
19 February 1990: Two Nepali soldiers were killed and six injured by SLA mortar fire that hit their compound. The SLA and IDF claimed that the fire had come in response to Hezbollah RPG and mortar fire.[168]
3 September 1991: A Swedish soldier, Kenneth Fransson was killed when he was caught in the middle of a shootout between Palestinians and SLA soldiers in Naqoura.[169]
15 September 1991: A Swedish soldier was killed and five Swedish and French soldiers were wounded when Palestinian gunmen intending to carry out an attack on the Israeli city of Nahariya en route to their target by boat mistakenly landed in Naqoura and confronted UNIFIL troops. One of the gunmen was also killed and another injured. In a separate incident, two gunmen ambushed a Nepali UNIFIL patrol near Yater, just north of the security zone, killing one soldier and wounding another. One of the gunmen was killed by return fire while the other escaped.[170]
23 February 1993: A Nepali soldier was killed and another seriously wounded after being caught in an exchange of fire between Hezbollah and the SLA in the vicinity of their post. The UN claimed that they had been killed by SLA shelling, while a senior IDF officer said it was uncertain who was at fault.[171]
27 December 1993: A Norwegian soldier, Bjoern Hagen Skaar, was killed and another, Oevind Berg, was wounded when an Israeli tank patrol engaged in a nighttime search for guerrillas mistook a Norwegian UNIFIL unit for enemy fighters and fired three tank shells at them. The Israeli unit subsequently assisted the Norwegian unit and called in a helicopter to airlift the injured soldier to an Israeli hospital.[172][173]
20 March 1995: A Nepali soldier was killed and three others wounded by Israeli shelling near Yater.
18 April 1996: 4 Fijian soldiers were wounded when the headquarters compound of the Fijian battalion of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in the village of Qana came under fire by Israeli artillery, at the time where more than 800 Lebanese had sought refuge inside the compound in which an estimated 100 persons were killed and a larger number wounded. this incident is known as Qana massacre.[174]
31 May 1999: An Irish soldier, Pte. William Kedian was killed in an exchange of fire between Hezbollah and the SLA.[175]
9 January 2005: A French officer was killed and a Swedish officer and a Lebanese civilian were wounded by Israeli shelling that was in retaliation to a Hezbollah attack that killed an Israeli soldier. A Hezbollah fighter was also killed.[176]
25 July 2006: Four UN observers, one each from Canada, Finland, Austria, and China, were killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit their position in Khiam during the 2006 Lebanon War.[177]
25 September 2006: A French engineer officer was killed in a road accident near the town of Sofar.
9 March 2007: Three Belgian soldiers were killed in an armoured vehicle accident.
24 June 2007: Three Colombian and three Spanish soldiers were killed in a bomb blast between Marjayoun and Khiam.
25 July 2007: A French soldier was killed near the village of Chamaa while clearing unexploded munitions.
11 October 2007: A British man, Craig Appleby (36) was killed while clearing munitions near Bint Jbeil.
12 November 2007: Two French soldiers were wounded as a result of the accidental discharge of a weapon. One of the wounded men subsequently died while being evacuated to Hospital.
15 June 2008: A Spanish soldier was killed and two injured in a road accident.
3 September 2008: A Belgian soldier was killed near the village of Aitaroun while clearing munitions left over from the 2006 conflict.
27 May 2011: Six Italian soldiers were wounded when their VM-90 military truck was destroyed by a roadside bomb near Sidon.[178]
4 August 2020: Bangladesh Navy corvette BNS Bijoy was anchored in the Port of Beirut during the 2020 Beirut explosion. The ship received moderate damage and 21 crew members were injured in the blast.[179]
14 December 2022: An Irish soldier, Pte. Seán Rooney (23) was killed, and three wounded when their convoy of two armoured vehicles was surrounded by a mob and fired on while en route to Beirut.[180]
15 October 2023: UNIFIL mentioned that its headquarters in Naqoura, was hit by a rocket during the 2023 Israel–Lebanon border clashes with no injuries reported.[181]
28 October 2023: UNIFIL reported that a shell landed in its headquarters, the second such incident since the border clashes began.[182] Later that day, a UNIFIL peacekeeper was injured after two mortar shells hit their base near Houla.[183]

Injuries edit

Compensation for tortious injury edit

A verdict of Trondheim District Court in 2006 resulted in the Norwegian government being ordered to pay 1.216 million kroner as compensation for tortious injury that Knut Braa acquired as a UNIFIL soldier.[184]

Leadership edit

Commanders of the force edit

Start Date End Date Name Country
March 1978 February 1981 Emmanuel A. Erskine   Ghana
February 1981 May 1986 William O'Callaghan   Ireland
June 1986 June 1988 Gustav Hägglund   Finland
July 1988 February 1993 Lars-Eric Wahlgren   Sweden
February 1993 February 1995 Trond Furuhovde   Norway
April 1995 1 October 1997 Stanisław Woźniak   Poland
February 1997 September 1999 Jioje Konousi Koronte   Fiji
30 September 1999 1 December 1999 James Sreenan   Ireland
16 November 1999 15 May 2001 Seth Kofi Obeng   Ghana
15 May 2001 17 August 2001 Ganesan Athmanathan   India
17 August 2001 17 February 2004 Lalit Mohan Tewari   India
17 February 2004 2 February 2007 Alain Pellegrini   France
2 February 2007 28 January 2010 Claudio Graziano[185]   Italy
28 January 2010 28 January 2012 Alberto Asarta Cuevas   Spain
28 January 2012 24 July 2014 Paolo Serra[186]   Italy
24 July 2014 24 July 2016 Luciano Portolano[186]   Italy
24 July 2016 7 August 2018 Michael Beary[187]   Ireland
7 August 2018 28 February 2022 Stefano Del Col[188]   Italy
28 February 2022 Present Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz[189]   Spain

Deputy Commanders of the Force edit

Start Date End Date Name Country
19 March 2022 31 January 2023 General Asyraf Arshad   Malaysia

Commanders of the Maritime Task Force edit

Start Date End Date Name Country
September 2006 16 October 2006 Giuseppe De Giorgi   Italy
16 October 2006 March 2007 Andreas Krause   Germany
March 2007 September 2007 Karl-Wilhelm Bollow   Germany
September 2007 February 2008 Christian Luther   Germany
February 2008 August 2008[190] Ruggiero di Biase   Italy
September 2008 February 2009 Jean-Louis Kerignard[191]   France
March 2009 May 2009 Jean-Thierry Pynoo[192]   Belgium
August 2009 August 2009 Ruggiero Di Biase[193]   Italy
September 2009 November 2009 Jürgen Mannhardt[194]   Germany
December 2009 February 2011 Paolo Sandalli[194]   Italy
February 2011 February 2012 Luiz Henrique Caroli   Brazil
February 2012 February 2013 Wagner Lopes de Moraes Zamith   Brazil
February 2013 February 2014 Joese de Andrade Bandeira Leandro   Brazil
February 2014 February 2015 Walter Eduardo Bombarda   Brazil
February 2015 February 2016 Flavio Macedo Brasil   Brazil
February 2016 February 2017 Claudio Henrique Mello de Almeida   Brazil
February 2017 February 2018 Sergio Fernando de Amaral Chaves Junior   Brazil
February 2018 February 2019 Eduardo Machado Vazquez   Brazil
February 2019 February 2020 Eduardo Augusto Wieland   Brazil
February 2020 December 2020 Sergio Renato Berna Salgueirinho   Brazil
December 2020 Present Axel Schulz[195]   Germany

Personal representatives of the Secretary-General for Southern Lebanon edit

Start Date End Date Name Country
March 1978 ? Jean Cuq   France
2000 15 January 2001 Rolf Göran Knutsson   Sweden
15 January 2001 April 2005 Staffan de Mistura   Italy
April 2005 2007 Geir Pedersen   Norway

See also edit

Notes edit

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Further reading edit

  • Bregman, Ahron (2002). Israel's Wars: A History Since 1947. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-28716-6
  • Bruns, Sebastian (2012). UNIFIL's Maritime Task Force and Germany's Contribution, in: Auftrag Auslandseinsatz. Neueste Militärgeschichte an der Schnittstelle von Geschichtswissenschaft, Politik, Öffentlichkeit und Streitkräften. Im Auftrag des Militärgeschichtlichen Forschungsamtes herausgegeben von Bernhard Chiari, Freiburg i.Br., Berlin, Wien: Rombach, 480 S. (= Neueste Militärgeschichte. Analysen und Studien, 1), 48 Euro, ISBN 9783-7930-9694-8.
  • Mattelaer, Alexander (2009). (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011. (385 KB), Egmont Paper 34 Egmont-Koninklijk Instituut voor Internationale Betrekkingen

External links edit

 
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  • UNIFIL – UN official mandate
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33°10′N 35°23′E / 33.167°N 35.383°E / 33.167; 35.383

February 15, 2024
united, nations, interim, force, lebanon, arabic, قوة, الأمم, المتحدة, المؤقتة, في, لبنان, hebrew, כוח, האו, הזמני, בלבנון, unifil, arabic, يونيفيل, hebrew, יוניפי, peacekeeping, mission, established, march, 1978, united, nations, security, council, resolution. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Arabic قوة الأمم المتحدة المؤقتة في لبنان Hebrew כוח האו ם הזמני בלבנון or UNIFIL Arabic يونيفيل Hebrew יוניפי ל is a UN peacekeeping mission established on 19 March 1978 by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior in order to ensure that the government of Lebanon would restore its effective authority in the area 1 The 1978 South Lebanon conflict came in the context of Palestinian insurgency in South Lebanon and the Lebanese Civil War United Nations Interim Force in LebanonUNIFIL deployment as of 2018 AbbreviationUNIFILFormation19 March 1978 45 years ago 1978 03 19 TypePeacekeeping missionLegal statusActiveHeadquartersNaqoura LebanonHeadHead of Mission Maj Gen Aroldo Lazaro SaenzParent organizationUnited Nations Security CouncilWebsiteunifil unmissions orgItalian Army Mechanized Brigade Granatieri di Sardegna squad patrolling the Blue Line during the COVID 19 pandemicThe mandate had to be adjusted twice due to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000 Following the 2006 Lebanon War the United Nations Security Council enhanced UNIFIL and decided that in addition to the original mandate it would among other things monitor the cessation of hostilities accompany and support the Lebanese Armed Forces as they deploy throughout the south of Lebanon and extend its assistance to help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations and the voluntary and safe return of displaced persons UNIFIL s mandate is renewed annually by the United Nations Security Council it was most recently extended on 1 September 2023 with the passing of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2695 It is composed of 10 000 peacekeepers from 46 nations tasked with helping the Lebanese Army keep the south of the country protected 2 Its funding is approved on an annual basis by the General Assembly It had a budget of 474 million for the period July 2018 to June 2019 3 Contents 1 Mandate 2 History 2 1 Lebanese Civil War until 1990 2 2 South Lebanon conflict until 2000 2 3 Conflict in 2006 2 3 1 Combat related incidents 2 4 From August 2006 2 4 1 Visit by Secretary General 2 4 2 Reinforcements 2 4 3 UNIFIL force in 2010 Israel Lebanon border clash 2 5 Post 2006 deployment 2 6 Maritime Task Force 2 7 Personnel 2 8 Protecting cultural heritage 3 Contributing countries 3 1 Former contributors 4 Assessment and controversy 4 1 Israeli concerns 4 2 Hezbollah concerns 4 3 Southern Lebanese reception 5 UNIFIL confrontations 5 1 UNIFIL Israel 5 2 UNIFIL Militias 6 UNIFIL casualties 6 1 Fatalities 6 2 Injuries 6 2 1 Compensation for tortious injury 7 Leadership 7 1 Commanders of the force 7 2 Deputy Commanders of the Force 7 3 Commanders of the Maritime Task Force 7 4 Personal representatives of the Secretary General for Southern Lebanon 8 See also 9 Notes 10 Further reading 11 External linksMandate edit nbsp Dutch UNIFIL base 1981 nbsp A Finnish XA 180 in the UNIFIL operation in Lebanon nbsp Fijian soldiers visiting UNIFIL OP during a patrolAccording to its Mandate established by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426 in 1978 UNIFIL is tasked with the following objectives 4 confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon restore international peace and security assist the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area In addition several further Security Council resolutions have reaffirmed the mission s mandate including 31 January 2006 SC Resolution 1655 5 31 July 2006 SC Resolution 1697 6 11 August 2006 SC Resolution 1701 7 History editMain article Lebanese Civil War The first UNIFIL troops deployed in the area on 23 March 1978 were reassigned from other UN peacekeeping operations in the area United Nations Emergency Force the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone 1 They were deployed after Israel launched Operation Litani earlier in the month in response to a cross border raid by Palestinians based in Lebanon UNIFIL made its headquarters in Naqoura close to the Lebanese Israeli border 8 The majority of the force s initial personnel were provided by Canada Iran and Sweden with support from France Nepal and Norway The initial force was established at 4 000 troops but this was increased to 6 000 in May 1978 Israeli forces withdrew from the area on 13 June 1978 after which South Lebanon Army SLA forces under Saad Haddad remained in the area UNIFIL began patrolling operations and established a series of positions including checkpoints roadblocks and observation posts Nevertheless UNIFIL operations during this time were hindered by restrictions that were imposed on its freedom of movement and a lack of co operation by all parties to the conflict There were also several attacks on its personnel including ambushes kidnappings shelling and sniping As a result only limited progress was made in fulfilment of its mandate between 1978 and 1982 9 During the occupation UNIFIL s function was mainly to provide humanitarian aid amidst the Lebanese Civil War 10 Lebanese Civil War until 1990 edit Main article Multinational Force in Lebanon Prior to the 1982 Lebanon War on 2 January 1982 two Ghanaian soldiers guarding a UNIFIL position were attacked by unidentified persons and one of the soldiers was shot and subsequently died 11 In February 1982 the force was increased by a further 1 000 troops 12 During the 1982 Lebanon War commencing on 6 June 1982 Israeli forces advanced into south Lebanon Despite being ordered to block the advance the UN positions were either bypassed or overrun 13 primarily by the SLA forces under Saad Haddad citation needed This was the main Lebanese paramilitary force supported by the Israel Defense Forces IDF in Southern Lebanon 10 The UN force was overwhelmed within a day At least one Norwegian peacekeeper was killed in the initial attack 14 Following this UNIFIL focused primarily on the distribution of aid and medical support while a new force the Multinational Force in Lebanon assumed primacy being deployed in Beirut until being withdrawn in March 1984 15 South Lebanon conflict until 2000 edit Beginning in 1985 Israel scaled back its permanent positions in Lebanon although the IDF maintained some forces in Southern Lebanon along with the SLA to establish a security zone to prevent attacks on Israel from Lebanon These forces were engaged by several groups including Hezbollah 16 17 UNIFIL s role during this time was limited to mainly manning checkpoints and undertaking patrols as its operations were constrained by the Israeli security zone in the south Its personnel were attacked by elements on both sides of the conflict during this time and financial issues also hampered UNIFIL operations as some UN member states withheld funding for the operation In 1986 the force was reorganised when France decreased its contribution to UNIFIL There was a proposal to convert the force into a observation group around this time although this was ultimately rejected 17 The period saw an Israel invasion in the 1982 Operation Peace in Galilee and another on a smaller scale in the 1993 Operation Accountability In 1996 south Lebanon was bombarded by the Israeli army airforce and navy for seventeen days According to Amnesty International during the 1996 bombardment UNIFIL compounds and vehicles came under Israeli aircraft or artillery fire 270 times 18 This included the shelling of the Fijian UNIFIL compound near Qana where 102 villagers sheltering were killed In April 2000 Israel notified the UN Secretary General that it was withdrawing from south Lebanon This process was completed by June 2000 After this UNIFIL was able to resume its military tasks along the Blue Line the UN identified line of withdrawal for the IDF and the adjacent areas where UNIFIL sought to maintain the ceasefire through patrols observation from fixed positions and close contact between Lebanese Armed Forces LAF as well as providing humanitarian assistance to the local population 17 Conflict in 2006 edit See also Attacks on United Nations personnel during the 2006 Lebanon War According to UNIFIL press releases there have been dozens of such incidents of UN posts coming under fire during the 2006 Lebanon War 19 In his 21 July 2006 report about the UNIFIL activities 21 January 18 July 2006 the Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan stated that Some Hezbollah positions remained in close proximity to United Nations positions especially in the Hula area posing a significant security risk to United Nations personnel and equipment 20 Combat related incidents edit nbsp Italian UN soldiers arriving in Lebanon 2006 nbsp UNIFIL soldiers and staff from the MV Serenade evacuate refugees from Tyre 20 July 2006On 17 July a UNIFIL international staff member and his wife were killed when Israeli aircraft bombed the Hosh District of Tyre Lebanon On 23 July Hezbollah fire wounded an Italian observer On 25 July Hezbollah opened small arms fire at a UNIFIL convoy forcing it to retreat On 25 July four soldiers from the Ghanaian battalion were lightly injured after an Israeli tank shell hit a UNIFIL position during fighting in Southern Lebanon on 24 July 2006 21 Shrapnel from tank shells fired by the IDF seriously wounded an Indian soldier on 16 July 2006 22 On 25 July four UNTSO observers from Austria Canada China and Finland were killed by Israeli strikes on an OGL Observer Group Lebanon patrol base near Khiam in southern Lebanon According to the UN the Israelis stated they were responding to Hezbollah fire from that vicinity and the four had taken shelter in a bunker under the post The area around the site was hit by a precision guided bomb from an Israeli jet and shelled a total of 14 times by Israeli artillery 23 throughout the day despite warning calls made by UN personnel to the IDF 24 However General Alain Pellegrini then commander of UNIFIL claims that he attempted to call Israeli officials five or six times but never got past their secretaries Later Israeli artillery shelling resumed as a rescue team tried to clear the rubble 25 On 29 July two Indian soldiers were wounded when their post was damaged during an Israeli airstrike in Southern Lebanon On 6 August a Hezbollah rocket hit the headquarters of the Chinese UNIFIL contingent wounding three Chinese soldiers On 12 August a Ghanaian soldier was wounded when Israeli artillery shelled the area near the village of Haris From August 2006 edit Visit by Secretary General edit In order to stress the importance of implementing Security Council resolution 1701 UN Secretary General Annan himself paid a visit to UNIFIL on the ground in August 2006 16 Reinforcements edit nbsp A soldier from the Italian Army stands guard during the UNIFIL mission in LebanonBy July 2006 UNIFIL s strength had dropped to its lowest with only 1 980 personnel deployed 26 However following the cease fire UNIFIL received a large number of reinforcements up to 15 000 men and heavy equipment France committed to increase its complement from 400 to 2 000 men and send Leclerc heavy tanks and AMX 30 AuF1 self propelled artillery 27 in addition to the forces deployed in Operation Baliste Italy committed to deploy 3 000 troops 28 while Qatar offered to send between 200 and 300 troops 29 As the French were preparing to deploy French commander of UNIFIL Alain Pellegrini and the country s foreign minister Philippe Douste Blazy stated that France would not intervene to disarm Hezbollah 30 31 A naval component of UNIFIL was set up to assist the Lebanese Navy as an interim measure to prevent arms proliferation to Hezbollah while the Lebanese Navy builds its capacity 32 For a period the force was German led under the command of a German admiral before handing over to the Italians 33 The Indonesian contingent received 12 VAB Vehicule de l Avant Blinde on 17 February 2007 as the part of the second wave of shipments from the agreement between the French and Indonesian governments Among the equipment sent with the second wave of VABs were 10 tool boxes pioneering equipment 10 armored vehicle radio communications units HMG Heavy Machine Gun shooter shields and 40 water jerrycans 34 On 16 March 2009 KRI Diponegoro an Indonesian Sigma class corvette joined the UNIFIL Naval Task Force 35 In August 2010 two Indonesian soldiers were criticized after they escaped from clashes between Israel and Lebanon by fleeing in a taxi 36 The Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman met with UNIFIL commander Maj Gen Claudio Graziano on 15 August 2008 after Israel was accused of unilaterally violating United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 by the almost daily overflights of Lebanese airspace the continued occupation of the village of Ghajar and Israel s refusal to submit maps of areas on which it dropped cluster munitions during the 2006 Lebanese war 37 Following the war British military historian John Keegan predicted that Israel would in the future invade Lebanon and continue attacking until Hezbollah s system of tunnels and bunkers was completely destroyed as Israel would not tolerate a zone of invulnerability occupied by a sworn enemy or a double threat posed by Hezbollah and Hamas rockets and that Israel might first attack the Gaza Strip Keegan noted that any IDF entry into Southern Lebanon would risk provoking a clash with UNIFIL but that it is unlikely to deter Israel as it tends to behave with extreme ruthlessness when national survival is at stake 38 nbsp Indonesian National Armed Forces UNIFIL peacekeepers 2007In 2010 a series of standoffs and clashes erupted between UNIFIL troops and Lebanese villagers in the border region Villagers accused French peacekeepers of provocative and intrusive patrols and of taking pictures of people inside their homes People of Aitaroun town Marjayoun accused the French regiments of driving their heavy vehicles through their two month old tobacco fields which support many families UNIFIL was also accused of having stepped up its patrols and of failing to coordinate with the Lebanese Army In July 2010 the most serious incident occurred when the French regiments decided to carry out exercises unilaterally without Lebanese units or other regiments When they went into narrow alleys of Lebanese villages some residents first tried to redirect them out of their private areas The French fired against the civilians arrested a youth driving a motorcycle and destroyed the vehicle When other civilians saw that they surrounded and attacked the UNIFIL French troops without any weapons The vehicles windows were smashed by stones from dozens of civilians of all ages and the French commander was wounded The French troops were forcibly disarmed by the villagers and weapons were then handed over to the Lebanese Army The French unit could not explain why they behaved unilaterally Their ambassador to the UN said the civilian attack was not spontaneous Many troops including the Finnish Irish Qataris and Indonesians pulled out of UNIFIL in 2007 2008 Some of these nations had been there for over 30 years the Irish and Finnish and one of the reasons for the withdrawal was reportedly concerns about the changing rules of engagement following the arrival of NATO forces in August 2006 and because of high level German and French statements expressing unlimited support to the Israeli side citation needed At the request of the United Nations 7 000 additional Lebanese soldiers were deployed to South Lebanon as approved by the Lebanese Cabinet when citation needed UNIFIL force in 2010 Israel Lebanon border clash edit nbsp Irish Army peacekeepers during an inspection while serving with UNIFIL on 19 September 2013 See also 2010 Israel Lebanon border clash The 2010 Israel Lebanon border clash occurred on 3 August 2010 It was the deadliest incident along the border since the devastating 2006 Lebanon War The UN force stationed in southern Lebanon urged maximum restraint following the clashes along the so called Blue Line a UN drawn border separating Lebanon from Israel UNIFIL peacekeepers were in the area where the clashes took place 39 United Nations peacekeepers tried to hold off the routine Israeli tree pruning that led to a deadly border clash with Lebanese soldiers An Indonesian UN battalion was on the scene and they did their best to try to prevent it but they were unable to 40 Indonesian peacekeepers tried to no avail to calm the situation before the clashes erupted However the fighting increasingly intensified so the small contingent of UNIFIL forces was ordered to retreat or find cover then report back to the base The Indonesian contingent under intense small arms fire and shelling between the two opposing forces retreated and returned to their base but two soldiers fell behind and briefly became isolated before the stunned and exhausted soldiers were helped by some locals 36 UN peacekeepers did not escape the confrontation unscathed Local TV reported that in some cases villagers attempted to block UNIFIL vehicles from fleeing the combat zone demanding that they return and fight However current and former UNIFIL officials said that at that point in the conflict it was out of peacekeepers hands One former UNIFIL official explained that he has been in these situations before and when the opposing sides are determined to shoot each other there is nothing UNIFIL force can do Regarding concerns about UNIFIL s neutrality a former UNIFIL commander highlighted the importance of perception stating that if UNIFIL forces intervened to protect IDF UNIFIL would be accused by Hezbollah or the Lebanese people of protecting the Israelis On the other hand if UNIFIL forces were seen to favour the Lebanese Israel would accuse UNIFIL of collaborating with Hezbollah 41 Post 2006 deployment edit nbsp UNIFIL basePost 2006 UNIFIL was deployed throughout Southern Lebanon south of the Litani River and primarily along the United Nations drawn Blue Line the border between Israel and Lebanon Since then the force s activities have centered around monitoring military activity between Hezbollah and the Israeli Defense Forces with the aim of reducing tensions and allaying tension along the border UNIFIL has also played an important role in clearing landmines assisting displaced persons and providing humanitarian assistance to civilians in the underdeveloped region of Southern Lebanon Under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 which passed as a result of the 2006 Lebanon War its mandate and rules of engagement changed The mandate changed to allow up to 15 000 personnel in order to assist the Lebanese Armed Forces in deploying in Southern Lebanon to implement the Lebanese government s sovereignty The rules of engagement changed to allow the troops to open fire in certain cases mostly in cases of self defense but also in order to protect civilians UN personnel and facilities 42 The new resolution states that UNIFIL can take all the necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems with its capabilities to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind 43 On 27 August 2006 United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said that UNIFIL would not intercept arms shipments from Syria unless requested to do so by Lebanon 44 Maritime Task Force edit nbsp Indonesian Navy corvettes KRI Bung Tomo and KRI Usman Harun steam along the Mediterranean Sea KRI Usman Harun arrived to relieve KRI Bung Tomo in UNIFIL s Maritime Task Force missionThe Maritime Task Force MTF is the naval component of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon UNIFIL As of February 2012 the MTF is under the command of Rear Admiral Wagner Lopes de Moraes Zamith of Brazil 45 The Brazilian frigate Constituicao is the flagship of the fleet comprising vessels from Brazil Bangladesh Germany Greece Indonesia and Turkey 45 After the 2006 Lebanon War the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force MTF was established to assist the Lebanese Naval Forces in preventing the smuggling of illegal shipments in general and armament shipments in particular With its establishment in October 2006 the force was led by the German Navy which was also the major contributor to the force 46 The Germans lead the MTF up until 29 February 2008 when they passed control over to EUROMARFOR a force made up of ships from Portugal Spain Italy and France of which the latter three countries sent vessels to the force in Lebanon 47 48 Personnel edit nbsp C I S S humanitarian staff with Italian UNIFIL soldiers in Lebanon nbsp UNIFIL Sisu Pasi in the snow close to the Israeli border in South Lebanon 1998As of 19 June 2018 update UNIFIL employed 10 480 military personnel including 500 women from 41 countries It is supported by 239 international civilian staff including 78 women and 583 national civilian staff including 153 women 49 13 It is led by Spanish Major General Aroldo Lazaro Saenz 50 The UNIFIL military component also includes a contingent from Kazakhstan The Kazakh peacekeeping forces joined the mission for the first time ever in late 2018 A total of 120 soldiers from Kazakhstan were deployed as part of the Indian battalion in Lebanon on 31 October 2018 51 In 2019 UNSC resolution 2485 extended the mission s mandate until August 2020 and reduced the troop ceiling from 15 000 to 13 000 52 Protecting cultural heritage edit In April 2019 the United Nations Interim Force deployed a cultural asset in Lebanon with Blue Shield International It was shown that cultural property protection carried out by military and civil specialists forms the basis for the future peaceful and economic development of a city region or country in many conflict zones The need for training and coordination of the military and civilian participants including the increased involvement of the local population became apparent especially at World Heritage Sites The connection between cultural user disruption and causes of flight was explained by the President of Blue Shield International Karl von Habsburg who stated Cultural assets are part of the identity of the people who live in a certain place If you destroy their culture you also destroy their identity Many people are uprooted often have no prospects anymore and subsequently flee from their homeland 53 54 55 Contributing countries editAs of 14 January 2024 update the total number of personnel in the mission is 10 180 56 Country Troops Support Roles Note s nbsp Argentina 3 nbsp Armenia 32 nbsp Austria 176 nbsp Bangladesh 119 The Bangladesh Navy deployed the Type 056 class corvette BNS Sangram led by Captain Faisal Mohammad Arifur Rahman Bhuiyan from September 2020 Previously the frigate BNS Osman and large patrol craft LPC BNS Madhumati were deployed to the mission from 17 May 2010 to 14 June 2014 The frigate BNS Ali Haider and LPC BNS Nirmul were deployed from 14 June 2014 to 2018 The corvette BNS Bijoy was deployed from 1 January 2018 to August 2020 More than two thousand personnel of the Bangladesh Navy have completed the mission in Lebanon 57 58 59 nbsp Brazil 11 Maritime Task Force MTF commander Brazilian Navy frigate Independencia 45 nbsp Brunei Darussalam 29 60 61 nbsp Cambodia 185 nbsp China 415 200 engineers currently in Lebanon clearing mines and unexploded ordnance medical team peacekeeping troops 62 63 nbsp Colombia 1 nbsp Croatia 1 nbsp Cyprus 2 nbsp El Salvador 52 nbsp Estonia 1 64 nbsp Fiji 1 In the past 134 65 nbsp Finland 207 Part of the French Force Commander Reserve FCR 66 67 nbsp France 659 The French Army contributed 13 Leclerc main battle tanks in Lebanon 68 to UNIFIL ground forces until February 2007 France also continuously deploys part of their peace keeping operations rotations of French Paratroopers 69 70 In addition French Navy ships with 1 700 sailors are deployed off Lebanon in Operation Baliste and assisting in UNIFIL operations 71 nbsp Germany 197 Naval ships to secure the Lebanese coast and prevent arms smuggling 72 nbsp Ghana 876 nbsp Greece 113 Elli class frigate HS Kanaris to patrol against arms smugglers 73 nbsp Guatemala 2 nbsp Hungary 16 Topographers nbsp India 895 One Standard Infantry Battalion of the Indian Army Regulars along with support components from the Corps of Engineers Sappers Corps of Signals and other logistic Arms and Services 74 nbsp Indonesia 1230 850 men in a mechanized infantry battalion 75 men in a military police unit 200 men in a force protection company 11 men assigned to UNIFIL s headquarters staff and 111 men aboard KRI Diponegoro Sigma class corvette of the Indonesian Navy 75 76 77 nbsp Ireland 329 The Irish Army has suffered the most casualties 48 fatalities in UNIFIL followed by Fiji and France since 1978 contributing over 30 000 peacekeepers over a period of 23 years 67 78 79 nbsp Italy 1060 Assumed charge of UNIFIL ground forces in February 2007 80 nbsp Kazakhstan 9 nbsp Kenya 3 nbsp Latvia 3 nbsp Malaysia 834 Administrative 200 and patrol quick reaction team 160 including commandos and special forces Excluding the Brunei unit nbsp Malta 10 nbsp Mongolia 4 nbsp Nepal 874 Infantry battalion 81 nbsp Netherlands 1 82 nbsp Nigeria 2 nbsp North Macedonia 1 nbsp Peru 1 nbsp Poland 211 nbsp Qatar 1 The only Arab nation to contribute to UNIFIL deployed 205 soldiers to Lebanon in 2007 They mostly provided humanitarian assistance and three logistics officers worked at UNIFIL headquarters 83 nbsp Republic of Korea 311 Tasked with policing providing medical assistance and performing cultural exchange nbsp Serbia 182 8 staff officers 5 national support element and 164 infantry 84 nbsp Sierra Leone 3 nbsp Spain 676 De mining and beach cleaning mechanized infantry battalion 1 infantry platoon from El Salvador cavalry squadron combat engineers helicopter unit 85 86 87 nbsp Sri Lanka 125 Mechanized infantry company with combat support personal and vehicles 88 nbsp United Republic of Tanzania 125 nbsp Turkey 179 89 90 nbsp United Kingdom 2 nbsp Uruguay 1 nbsp Zambia 2Former contributors edit Last number forces Support Roles Ref nbsp Belarus 5 The Belarus Contingent consist of one surgical team and staff officer in UNIFIL 91 nbsp Belgium 105 De miners medical and reconstruction teams 1 Karel Doorman class frigate 92 82 nbsp Bulgaria 160 1 Wielingen class frigate 93 nbsp Chile 338 nbsp Czech Republic 138 nbsp Denmark 204 2 patrol boats as force protection for German contingent and 144 logistic soldiers and 10 firefighters from the Danish Emergency Management Agency 94 95 nbsp Dominican Republic 25 nbsp Iran 600 One reinforced company of the Iranian battalion from the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force which was released later and replaced by 600 troop battalion 96 nbsp Japan 205 nbsp Mexico 2 nbsp Netherlands 839 155 718 Infantry battalion Dutchbatt 839 of which 7 UNIFIL staff 1979 1983 Infantry battalion Dutchcoy 155 1983 1985 Maritime task force 1 frigate 718 military personnel 2006 2008 97 98 82 nbsp Norway 900 Infantry battalion NORBATT engineering unit NORMAINTCOY rotary wing force NORAIR medical unit NORMEDCOY and naval ships to secure the Lebanese coast and prevent arms smuggling 99 100 101 nbsp Philippines 340 102 nbsp Portugal 140 Engineering unit 103 nbsp Russian Federation 400 Engineers 104 nbsp Slovakia 6 Medical team nbsp Slovenia 37 The Slovenian army participated in the mission from 2006 to 31 July 2023 105 nbsp Sweden 600 One company from UNEF II 1978 to establish UNIFIL one field hospital 1980 1992 one logistics battalion 1986 1994 The Swedish Armed Forces have contributed with 8 148 soldiers and sailors to UNIFIL since 1980 1 Goteborg class corvette 94 106 107 nbsp Switzerland 198 nbsp Ukraine 127 nbsp Vietnam 32Assessment and controversy editA former Israeli diplomat Itamar Rabinovich criticised the efficacy of UNIFIL describing it as a joke and stating They ve been there for 26 years and since then there have been so many skirmishes along the border 108 Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also said We didn t like very much UNIFIL which was very useless and very helpless Look what happened Did you hear of any particular efforts of the United Nations UNIFIL force in the south of Lebanon to prevent the attacks against Israel in the first place So they were not useful and that is why we were unhappy with them 109 Both Israel and Hezbollah have accused UNIFIL of bias Israel claims the force has allowed if not aided Hezbollah s replenishment of military power Hezbollah in turn alleges that certain contingents of UNIFIL are spying for if not assisting Israel 110 Journalist Alain Pellegrini alleged that UN reports on Lebanon were reaching Israeli intelligence 111 During deadly skirmishes between Lebanese and Israeli forces in 2010 UNIFIL was heavily criticized for failing to intervene with two Indonesian soldiers filmed fleeing the battleground in a taxi 112 UNIFIL has addressed the accusations of bias levied by both sides On 26 July 2006 a former spokesman stated that upon the mission s deployment in 1978 UNIFIL was accused of being sympathetic to Palestinians as Hezbollah had not yet been established A peacekeeping force does not come here with pre set enemies There is no enemy inaudible in a peacekeeping force UNIFIL is a peacekeeping force It s not an Israeli combat force or an anti terror force as they would like it to be As long as we don t serve their direct interests they are going to denigrate it as much as they can 113 Israeli concerns edit Among Israel s criticisms of UNIFIL are that it maintains dialogue with Hezbollah which it views as a terrorist organization and treats Israeli and Hezbollah violations of UNSC Resolution 1701 equally while Israel views its violations of Lebanese airspace as less severe than Hezbollah s violations including crossings of the blue line and rocket launches namely because the prsence of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in and of itself is in violation of Resolution 1701 Israel and its primary allies in the west consider Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization and not a legitimate political party or representative of Lebanon UNIFIL was accused of complicity in the fatal abduction of IDF soldiers in October 2000 and Israel further blamed it for obstructing its investigation by initially denying the existence of the attack and upon the leaking of the incident s occurrence refusing to supply videos for several months 114 115 Prior to the July 2006 Lebanon War Israel had been lobbying for UNIFIL to either take a more active role vis a vis Hezbollah for example preventing Hezbollah from stationing near UNIFIL posts to fire at the IDF and into northern Israel or to step out of the region which would thereby void the Lebanese government s excuse for not deploying Lebanese Armed Forces along the border 116 UNIFIL also came under criticism during the 2006 Lebanon War for broadcasting detailed reports of Israeli troop movements numbers and positions on their website which could have exposed Israeli soldiers to grave danger while making no such reports about Hezbollah UNIFIL s actions could have been motivated by the fact that Israel was as a response to Hezbollah rocket fire which Hezbollah alleges to have been a reaction to Israeli border violations and to the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers conducting a ground invasion of Lebanon at that time Israel was concerned when it was reported that Indonesia was being considered to replace Italy as commander of UNIFIL s naval force As Indonesia does not recognize Israel and the two countries have no diplomatic or military relations Israel expressed concern that cooperation with the IDF especially the Israeli Navy could deteriorate 117 A 2010 book published by Norwegian journalist Odd Karsten Tveit revealed that the Norwegian Army was complicit in the escape of two Lebanese men who were arrested by the Israeli Army and being held in Khiam prison According to the book in 1992 two detained Lebanese men escaped from Khiam prison Fearing that they would face torture or execution if caught by the Israel Defense Forces or South Lebanon Army the soldiers dressed the detainees in UN uniforms and placed them in a UNIFIL convoy which left Southern Lebanon through Israeli roadblocks Shortly afterward Israeli Army commander Moshe Tamir visited the Norwegian battalion s camp and accused Norwegian commander Hagrup Haukland of sheltering terrorists Immediately after the confrontation the Lebanese men were smuggled onto a bus used by Norwegian peacekeepers on leave which took them to Beirut 118 Hezbollah concerns edit Hezbollah supporters have accused UNIFIL of siding with Israel especially since the passage of Resolution 1701 which they view as one sided On 16 October 2006 Lebanon s top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah declared that the UN force had come to protect Israel not Lebanon 119 echoing the sentiment of the leader of Hezbollah Sayed Hassan Nasrallah who previously said They are ashamed of us brothers and sisters They are ashamed of saying they came to defend us but they talk about defending Israel 120 Southern Lebanese reception edit nbsp A 2004 Easter mass in South Lebanon by the French UNIFIL contingentIn the summer of 2010 relations soured between the French contingent and residents in several villages that led to injuries on both sides after a French regiment began an exercise to identify Hezbollah members that included searching homes taking photographs using sniffer dogs and questioning residents Residents accused them of violating private property treating them with contempt and of not coordinating with the Lebanese army The residents made clear that their conflict was only with the French contingent and that relations with other contingents were good Following discussions between UNIFIL commanders ambassadors of countries with soldiers in UNIFIL and the commander of the Lebanese army an agreement was reached under which sniffer dogs would no longer be used UNIFIL soldiers would refrain from entering Lebanese homes and yards and only Lebanese army soldiers would carry out searches of homes 110 121 Generally however relations between UNIFIL and local residents have been good UNIFIL forces have offered various services to the locals and have introduced elements of their own culture India s UNIFIL contingent has carried out small scale development projects operates medical and dental clinics veterinary care for local animals and also runs entertainment camps for children and yoga classes 122 123 The Indonesian UNIFIL contingent INDOBATT also gained a good reputation among the South Lebanese people through the Civil Military Coordination CIMIC program implemented by the contingent This program has included many community based activities including computer courses for local residents medical assistance and also technical assistance in rebuilding social facilities 124 125 126 The French contingent has taught poetry courses to local Francophone residents as well as French vocabulary and grammar to primary school students in 15 schools the Italian contingent has given cooking lessons the South Korean contingent has taught Taekwondo and the Chinese contingent has taught Tai chi 127 128 nbsp Korps Marinir BTR 80A of Indonesian Contingent of UNIFIL during Medal Parade Ceremony at Indobatt Compound in Adchit al Qusayr Southern Lebanon 2020An official source within the Lebanese government informed Al Jazeera that despite UNIFIL s shortcomings the force had been responsible for regularly hosting and mediating negotiations between Lebanese and Israeli forces helping to defuse tensions 129 The source also claimed that prior to the mission s deployment in 1978 southern Lebanon was far more chaotic and unstable and that UNIFIL s departure would lead to an outbreak of more conflict 129 UNIFIL confrontations editUNIFIL Israel edit On 22 September 2006 French Air Force jets were seen over the skies of Beirut during Hassan Nasrallah s victory speech possibly trying to protect him from an Israeli assassination attempt citation needed Nasrallah told the crowd that he had no fear in addressing the masses directly rather than through armored glass On 28 September two Israeli Merkava tanks an armored bulldozer and a number of military vehicles entered Lebanon and established a road block 500 meters away from the road leading to Marwahin village the IDF force asked to advance deeper into Lebanese territory but they were confronted by four United Nations Leclerc tanks operated by French troops which blocked their advance The confrontation lasted for half an hour in which Israeli soldiers confiscated the identity cards of photographers at the scene claiming they may give pictures of the Israeli military to Hezbollah members According to American and German correspondents the French retreated while the French commander claimed that the Israelis had turned back 130 131 Following the war Hezbollah was widely reported to be rearming with the help of Iran and Syria which were reportedly smuggling weaponry and munitions into Lebanon to replenish Hezbollah s depleted stocks 132 Israel accused UNIFIL of failing to prevent Hezbollah s rearmament and thus failing to implement Resolution 1701 The Israeli Air Force began flying reconnaissance sorties over Lebanon to monitor Hezbollah s rearmament with Israel announcing they would continue until Resolution 1701 was fully implemented This led to repeated confrontations with UNIFIL 133 On 3 October 2006 an Israeli fighter jet penetrated the 2 nautical mile 3 7 km defense perimeter of the French Navy frigate Courbet without answering radio calls triggering a diplomatic incident Israel apologized after official protests from the French government 134 135 On 24 October six Israeli Air Force F 16 jets flew over the German Navy intelligence ship Alster patrolling off Israel s coast just south of the Lebanese border The German Defense Ministry said that the planes had given off infrared decoys and one of the aircraft had fired two shots into the air which had not been specifically aimed The Israeli military said that a German helicopter took off from the vessel without having coordinated this with Israel and denied vehemently having fired any shots at the vessel and said as of now it also had no knowledge of the jets launching flares over it Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz telephoned his German counterpart Franz Josef Jung to clarify that Israel has no intention to carry out any aggressive actions against the German peacekeeping forces in Lebanon who are there as part of UNIFIL to enforce an arms embargo against Hezbollah Germany confirmed the consultations and that both sides were interested in maintaining good cooperation 136 137 138 The Alster s crew had recorded several overflights by Israeli jets in the previous weeks but claimed that the Israeli aircraft had always stayed at high altitude The week before the incident Israeli jets had confronted a German naval helicopter but turned back after the Germans identified themselves 139 Shortly after the war UN Secretary General Kofi Annan reporting to the Security Council stated that there were no serious incidents or confrontations but that peacekeepers reported Israeli flyovers almost on a daily basis 140 UNIFIL commander Alain Pellegrini claimed that Israeli flyovers violated the cease fire and Lebanese sovereignty and warned that if the diplomatic efforts to stop the overflights failed force might be used to stop them Israeli military sources reported that Israel would bomb UNIFIL positions if Israeli aircraft were attacked 141 142 On 23 October sources in the Israeli defense establishment said that intelligence gathered by the sorties had revealed that Hezbollah was rebuilding its military infrastructure Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz told the cabinet that surveillance flights over Lebanon would continue in light of the fact that arms smuggling between Syria and Lebanon continued 143 On 31 October 2006 eight Israeli F 15s flew over many areas of Lebanon including Beirut 144 145 The jets also flew over a French position in Lebanon According to the French Defense Minister Michele Alliot Marie the planes came in at what was interpreted as an attack formation and the peacekeepers were two seconds away from firing at the jets with an anti aircraft missile 146 147 On 6 September during a European Union meeting in Brussels the French Defense Minister announced that the Israeli Air Force had stopped mock air attacks over UNIFIL positions On 17 November two Israeli F 15s overflew UN positions at low altitude and high speed while two reconnaissance planes circled the headquarters of the French battalion French peacekeepers responded by readying their anti aircraft batteries and warned that Israeli warplanes conducting mock attacks could be fired on 148 The IAF continued its reconnaissance flights over Lebanon and despite strong protests UNIFIL peacekeeping forces did not follow through on their threats to fire at Israeli aircraft The Lebanese government reported hundreds of overflights by Israeli aircraft and also claimed that Israeli troops had illegally crossed the border dozens of times including into the disputed Shebaa farms area 149 UNIFIL Militias edit On 24 June 2007 six UNIFIL soldiers three Colombians and three Spanish were killed after their vehicle was hit by an explosive device two others both Spanish were injured in the incident 150 151 No group has yet admitted responsibility although the Israeli military believed the attack was perpetrated by members of al Qaeda 152 UNIFIL casualties editFatalities edit nbsp The entrance to the UN base where four UN peacekeepers were killed during the 2006 conflict nbsp Lebanon cedar planted in Newbridge County Kildare Ireland to commemorate Irish soldiers who died on UN service As of 14 January 2022 UNIFIL has had 324 fatalities since 1978 153 They include the following nationalities Country Death Total nbsp Bangladesh 1 nbsp Belgium 4 nbsp Canada 1 nbsp China 1 nbsp Denmark 1 nbsp El Salvador 1 nbsp Fiji 35 nbsp Finland 11 nbsp France 37 nbsp Ghana 31 nbsp India 5 nbsp Indonesia 2 nbsp Iran 1 nbsp Ireland 48 nbsp Italy 7 nbsp Lebanon 7 nbsp Malaysia 3 nbsp Nepal 28 nbsp Netherlands 9 nbsp Nigeria 10 nbsp Norway 21 nbsp Philippines 1 nbsp Poland 7 nbsp Senegal 16 nbsp Spain 12 nbsp Sri Lanka 1 nbsp Sweden 7 nbsp Turkey 1 nbsp United Kingdom 4 nbsp nbsp Unfinished memorial for UNIFIL casualties in Tyre 2019Date Incident29 March 1978 A Swedish soldier Karl Oscar Johansson was killed and another Marc Lindoberg was injured when their vehicle hit a landmine in the vicinity of the Khardala Bridge 154 Johansson was UNIFIL s first fatality 1979 Three Fijian soldiers shot in ambush by PFLP 155 16 March 1981 Three Nigerian soldiers killed in bombardment by SLA artillery 156 25 June 1981 Two Fijian soldiers were killed and one wounded by PLO gunmen They had been among the nine Fijian soldiers captured by the PFLP in an ambush Three of them where tortured and executed one by one by being shot in the head One survived 157 158 27 October 1982 An Irish soldier Private Michael McAleavey opened fire and killed three other Irish soldiers He originally claimed they had been killed by Lebanese gunmen but later admitted the killings saying he had snapped due to dehydration and heat exhaustion He received a life sentence at court martial being paroled in 2009 159 22 August 1986 An Irish soldier was killed and two others wounded by a roadside bomb Two heavily armed men with bomb making equipment were subsequently caught by a UNIFIL patrol and handed over to Lebanese police 160 28 September 1986 Three French soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb while jogging UN officials attributed the attack to Shiite fundamentalists particularly Hezbollah 161 20 November 1986 Three Fijian soldiers and three Lebanese were killed in a suicide car bombing and three UNIFIL soldiers two Lebanese civilians and an SLA soldier were injured The car with two occupants inside had run through a UNIFIL roadblock apparently aiming for the Israeli border but after being fired at as it approached an SLA roadblock it returned to the UNIFIL roadblock and exploded as Fijian and SLA soldiers approached 162 11 January 1987 An Irish soldier Corporal Dermot McLoughlin was killed when an Israeli tank shelled an Irish UNIFIL position The Israelis had opened fire after spotting a large squad of guerrillas near the position Two senior Israeli officers were later disciplined over the incident 163 164 24 February 1989 An Irish soldier was shot dead by SLA in Haddatha 165 166 21 March 1989 Three Irish soldiers were killed by a landmine on the road to their outpost near Baraachit Officers on the ground are reported as believing that the SLA were responsible and that UNIFIL were being deliberately targeted 167 19 February 1990 Two Nepali soldiers were killed and six injured by SLA mortar fire that hit their compound The SLA and IDF claimed that the fire had come in response to Hezbollah RPG and mortar fire 168 3 September 1991 A Swedish soldier Kenneth Fransson was killed when he was caught in the middle of a shootout between Palestinians and SLA soldiers in Naqoura 169 15 September 1991 A Swedish soldier was killed and five Swedish and French soldiers were wounded when Palestinian gunmen intending to carry out an attack on the Israeli city of Nahariya en route to their target by boat mistakenly landed in Naqoura and confronted UNIFIL troops One of the gunmen was also killed and another injured In a separate incident two gunmen ambushed a Nepali UNIFIL patrol near Yater just north of the security zone killing one soldier and wounding another One of the gunmen was killed by return fire while the other escaped 170 23 February 1993 A Nepali soldier was killed and another seriously wounded after being caught in an exchange of fire between Hezbollah and the SLA in the vicinity of their post The UN claimed that they had been killed by SLA shelling while a senior IDF officer said it was uncertain who was at fault 171 27 December 1993 A Norwegian soldier Bjoern Hagen Skaar was killed and another Oevind Berg was wounded when an Israeli tank patrol engaged in a nighttime search for guerrillas mistook a Norwegian UNIFIL unit for enemy fighters and fired three tank shells at them The Israeli unit subsequently assisted the Norwegian unit and called in a helicopter to airlift the injured soldier to an Israeli hospital 172 173 20 March 1995 A Nepali soldier was killed and three others wounded by Israeli shelling near Yater 18 April 1996 4 Fijian soldiers were wounded when the headquarters compound of the Fijian battalion of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in the village of Qana came under fire by Israeli artillery at the time where more than 800 Lebanese had sought refuge inside the compound in which an estimated 100 persons were killed and a larger number wounded this incident is known as Qana massacre 174 31 May 1999 An Irish soldier Pte William Kedian was killed in an exchange of fire between Hezbollah and the SLA 175 9 January 2005 A French officer was killed and a Swedish officer and a Lebanese civilian were wounded by Israeli shelling that was in retaliation to a Hezbollah attack that killed an Israeli soldier A Hezbollah fighter was also killed 176 25 July 2006 Four UN observers one each from Canada Finland Austria and China were killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit their position in Khiam during the 2006 Lebanon War 177 25 September 2006 A French engineer officer was killed in a road accident near the town of Sofar 9 March 2007 Three Belgian soldiers were killed in an armoured vehicle accident 24 June 2007 Three Colombian and three Spanish soldiers were killed in a bomb blast between Marjayoun and Khiam 25 July 2007 A French soldier was killed near the village of Chamaa while clearing unexploded munitions 11 October 2007 A British man Craig Appleby 36 was killed while clearing munitions near Bint Jbeil 12 November 2007 Two French soldiers were wounded as a result of the accidental discharge of a weapon One of the wounded men subsequently died while being evacuated to Hospital 15 June 2008 A Spanish soldier was killed and two injured in a road accident 3 September 2008 A Belgian soldier was killed near the village of Aitaroun while clearing munitions left over from the 2006 conflict 27 May 2011 Six Italian soldiers were wounded when their VM 90 military truck was destroyed by a roadside bomb near Sidon 178 4 August 2020 Bangladesh Navy corvette BNS Bijoy was anchored in the Port of Beirut during the 2020 Beirut explosion The ship received moderate damage and 21 crew members were injured in the blast 179 14 December 2022 An Irish soldier Pte Sean Rooney 23 was killed and three wounded when their convoy of two armoured vehicles was surrounded by a mob and fired on while en route to Beirut 180 15 October 2023 UNIFIL mentioned that its headquarters in Naqoura was hit by a rocket during the 2023 Israel Lebanon border clashes with no injuries reported 181 28 October 2023 UNIFIL reported that a shell landed in its headquarters the second such incident since the border clashes began 182 Later that day a UNIFIL peacekeeper was injured after two mortar shells hit their base near Houla 183 Injuries edit Compensation for tortious injury edit A verdict of Trondheim District Court in 2006 resulted in the Norwegian government being ordered to pay 1 216 million kroner as compensation for tortious injury that Knut Braa acquired as a UNIFIL soldier 184 Leadership editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Commanders of the force edit Start Date End Date Name CountryMarch 1978 February 1981 Emmanuel A Erskine nbsp GhanaFebruary 1981 May 1986 William O Callaghan nbsp IrelandJune 1986 June 1988 Gustav Hagglund nbsp FinlandJuly 1988 February 1993 Lars Eric Wahlgren nbsp SwedenFebruary 1993 February 1995 Trond Furuhovde nbsp NorwayApril 1995 1 October 1997 Stanislaw Wozniak nbsp PolandFebruary 1997 September 1999 Jioje Konousi Koronte nbsp Fiji30 September 1999 1 December 1999 James Sreenan nbsp Ireland16 November 1999 15 May 2001 Seth Kofi Obeng nbsp Ghana15 May 2001 17 August 2001 Ganesan Athmanathan nbsp India17 August 2001 17 February 2004 Lalit Mohan Tewari nbsp India17 February 2004 2 February 2007 Alain Pellegrini nbsp France2 February 2007 28 January 2010 Claudio Graziano 185 nbsp Italy28 January 2010 28 January 2012 Alberto Asarta Cuevas nbsp Spain28 January 2012 24 July 2014 Paolo Serra 186 nbsp Italy24 July 2014 24 July 2016 Luciano Portolano 186 nbsp Italy24 July 2016 7 August 2018 Michael Beary 187 nbsp Ireland7 August 2018 28 February 2022 Stefano Del Col 188 nbsp Italy28 February 2022 Present Aroldo Lazaro Saenz 189 nbsp SpainDeputy Commanders of the Force edit Start Date End Date Name Country19 March 2022 31 January 2023 General Asyraf Arshad nbsp MalaysiaCommanders of the Maritime Task Force edit Start Date End Date Name CountrySeptember 2006 16 October 2006 Giuseppe De Giorgi nbsp Italy16 October 2006 March 2007 Andreas Krause nbsp GermanyMarch 2007 September 2007 Karl Wilhelm Bollow nbsp GermanySeptember 2007 February 2008 Christian Luther nbsp GermanyFebruary 2008 August 2008 190 Ruggiero di Biase nbsp ItalySeptember 2008 February 2009 Jean Louis Kerignard 191 nbsp FranceMarch 2009 May 2009 Jean Thierry Pynoo 192 nbsp BelgiumAugust 2009 August 2009 Ruggiero Di Biase 193 nbsp ItalySeptember 2009 November 2009 Jurgen Mannhardt 194 nbsp GermanyDecember 2009 February 2011 Paolo Sandalli 194 nbsp ItalyFebruary 2011 February 2012 Luiz Henrique Caroli nbsp BrazilFebruary 2012 February 2013 Wagner Lopes de Moraes Zamith nbsp BrazilFebruary 2013 February 2014 Joese de Andrade Bandeira Leandro nbsp BrazilFebruary 2014 February 2015 Walter Eduardo Bombarda nbsp BrazilFebruary 2015 February 2016 Flavio Macedo Brasil nbsp BrazilFebruary 2016 February 2017 Claudio Henrique Mello de Almeida nbsp BrazilFebruary 2017 February 2018 Sergio Fernando de Amaral Chaves Junior nbsp BrazilFebruary 2018 February 2019 Eduardo Machado Vazquez nbsp BrazilFebruary 2019 February 2020 Eduardo Augusto Wieland nbsp BrazilFebruary 2020 December 2020 Sergio Renato Berna Salgueirinho nbsp BrazilDecember 2020 Present Axel Schulz 195 nbsp GermanyPersonal representatives of the Secretary General for Southern Lebanon edit Start Date End Date Name CountryMarch 1978 Jean Cuq nbsp France2000 15 January 2001 Rolf Goran Knutsson nbsp Sweden15 January 2001 April 2005 Staffan de Mistura nbsp ItalyApril 2005 2007 Geir Pedersen nbsp NorwaySee also edit1978 South Lebanon conflict 1982 Lebanon War 1996 shelling of Qana 2006 Lebanon War 2010 Israel Lebanon border clash Attacks on United Nations personnel during the 2006 Lebanon War January 2015 Shebaa farms incident Lebanese Civil War Multinational Force in Lebanon South Lebanon Army United Nations Apurba Kumar BardalaiNotes edit a b Extracts relating to Article 98 of the Charter of the United Nations Supplement No 5 1970 1978 PDF Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs United Nations pp 275 279 Archived from the original PDF on 19 October 2013 Retrieved 6 August 2006 UNIFIL mandate renewed peacekeepers to help Lebanese Army The Jerusalem Post JPost com 30 August 2021 Approved resources for peacekeeping operations for the period from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019 United Nations General Assembly United Nations 5 July 2018 Retrieved 21 July 2018 UNIFIL Mandate United Nations 9 March 2016 Retrieved 9 February 2021 United Nations Security Council extends UN force in Lebanon until 31 July unanimously adopting Resolution 1655 2006 Retrieved 12 August 2006 United Nations Security Council extends United Nations force in Lebanon unanimously adopting Resolution 1697 2006 Retrieved 12 August 2006 United Nations Security Council calls for end to hostilities between Hizbollah Israel unanimously adopting Resolution 1701 2006 Retrieved 12 August 2006 Tveit Odd Karsten 2010 Goodbye Lebanon Israel s First Defeat Rimal Publication Translated by Peter Scott Hansen ISBN 978 9963 715 03 9 p 93 Novosseloff Alexandra 2017 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon UNIFIL I In Koops Joachim A MacQueen Norrie Tardy Thierry Williams Paul D eds The Oxford Handbook of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Oxford University Press pp 248 250 251 ISBN 978 0 19 880924 1 a b Extracts relating to Article 98 of the Charter of the United Nations Supplement No 6 1979 1984 PDF Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs United Nations pp 185 199 Archived from the original PDF on 19 October 2013 Retrieved 6 August 2006 UN Doc S 15194 of 10 June 1982 Report of the Secretary General on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Archived 2 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine Novosseloff Alexandra 2017 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon UNIFIL I In Koops Joachim A MacQueen Norrie Tardy Thierry Williams Paul D eds The Oxford Handbook of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Oxford University Press p 252 ISBN 978 0 19 880924 1 Novosseloff Alexandra 2017 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon UNIFIL I In Koops Joachim A MacQueen Norrie Tardy Thierry Williams Paul D eds The Oxford Handbook of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Oxford University Press p 252 ISBN 978 0 19 880924 1 Findlay Trevor 2002 The Use of Force in UN Peacekeeping Operations PDF Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and Oxford University Press p 114 ISBN 0 19 829282 1 Novosseloff Alexandra 2017 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon UNIFIL I In Koops Joachim A MacQueen Norrie Tardy Thierry Williams Paul D eds The Oxford Handbook of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Oxford University Press pp 252 253 ISBN 978 0 19 880924 1 a b UNIFIL Background United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon 9 March 2016 Retrieved 18 September 2019 a b c Novosseloff Alexandra 2017 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon UNIFIL I In Koops Joachim A MacQueen Norrie Tardy Thierry Williams Paul D eds The Oxford Handbook of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Oxford University Press p 253 ISBN 978 0 19 880924 1 Amnesty International Unlawful Killings During Operation Grapes of Wrath July 1996 United Nations UNIFIL press releases Archived 25 July 2006 at the Wayback Machine See paragraph 28 in Report of the Secretary General on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon S 2006 560 Retrieved 31 July 2006 UNIFIL Press Release Naqoura 25 July 2006 PDF United Nations 6 August 2009 Retrieved 5 August 2010 UNIFIL Press Release Naqoura 17 July 2006 PDF United Nations 6 August 2009 Retrieved 5 August 2010 UNIFIL Untitled Press Release 26 July 2006 Archived 3 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine Tim Butcher 27 July 2006 UN urged Israelis to hold fire 10 times before post was hit The Daily Telegraph UK Archived from the original on 11 September 2012 Retrieved 23 May 2008 Israeli bomb kills UN observers BBC News 26 July 2006 Retrieved 23 May 2008 Novosseloff Alexandra 2017 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon UNIFIL I In Koops Joachim A MacQueen Norrie Tardy Thierry Williams Paul D eds The Oxford Handbook of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Oxford University Press p 249 ISBN 978 0 19 880924 1 Finul 900 soldats francais et des armes lourdes envoyes d ici mi septembre Le Monde 28 August 2006 Retrieved 26 April 2011 Humanitarian Thomson Reuters Foundation News news trust org Archived from the original on 28 September 2006 Qatar to send troops to Lebanon CNN 4 September 2006 UNIFIL peacekeepers will not disarm Hizbullah The Jerusalem Post 15 August 2006 Retrieved 14 February 2021 France the key to UN Force in Lebanon The Sydney Morning Herald 16 August 2006 Retrieved 14 February 2021 Sarkis Joseph 16 November 2020 Lebanese maritime security Navigating rough seas with good policy Middle East Institute Retrieved 17 February 2021 UNIFIL Maritime Task Force United Nations 14 March 2016 Retrieved 17 February 2021 tniad mil id Archived from the original on 5 October 2007 Hutabarat Leonard F July December 2014 Indonesian Participation in the UN Peacekeeping as an Instrument of Foreign Policy Challenges and Opportunities PDF Global amp Strategis 8 2 187 a b Criticism as Two Indonesian Soldiers Flee Lebanese Israeli Battle in Taxi Agence France Presse 8 August 2010 Archived from the original on 16 August 2010 Retrieved 2 November 2010 Shlomo Shamire 16 August 2008 Israeli envoy meets UNIFIL chief over praise for Hezbollah censure for Israel Ha aretz Keegan John 3 November 2006 Why Israel will go to war again soon The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 12 January 2022 Retrieved 5 August 2010 hurriyetdailynews 3 August 2010 Clashes at tense Israel Lebanon border leave at least 4 dead Agence France Presse Retrieved 2 November 2010 online wsj 5 August 2010 U N Tried to Avert Fatal Israel Lebanon Clash The Wall Street Journal Retrieved 2 November 2010 Joshua Hersh 5 August 2010 Peacekeepers lost contact with Israeli general Archived from the original on 13 July 2011 Retrieved 2 November 2010 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon UNIFIL PDF United Nations 6 August 2009 Retrieved 5 August 2010 James Bone and Richard Beeston 21 August 2006 After 31 days of fighting UN votes for plan to bring peace to Lebanon The Times UK Retrieved 23 May 2008 Harry De Quetteville amp Michael Hirst 27 August 2006 UN will not stop Syria sending weapons to Lebanon The Daily Telegraph UK Archived from the original on 12 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2016 Maj General Stefano Del Col of Italy Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon UNIFIL United Nations Retrieved 12 July 2018 MAJOR GENERAL AROLDO LAZARO TAKES UP DUTIES AS UNIFIL HEAD OF MISSION AND FORCE COMMANDER United Nations Retrieved 28 February 2022 Maritime Task Force Unifil unmissions org Archived from the original on 28 July 2011 Retrieved 5 August 2010 Press Releases Unifil unmissions org Archived from the original on 28 July 2011 Retrieved 5 August 2010 Press Releases Unifil unmissions org Archived from the original on 28 July 2011 Retrieved 5 August 2010 Press Releases Unifil unmissions org Archived from the original on 28 July 2011 Retrieved 5 August 2010 a b Press Releases Unifil unmissions org Retrieved 5 August 2010 MoD Germany German retrieved 23 August 2021Further reading editBregman Ahron 2002 Israel s Wars A History Since 1947 London Routledge ISBN 978 0 415 28716 6 Bruns Sebastian 2012 UNIFIL s Maritime Task Force and Germany s Contribution in Auftrag Auslandseinsatz Neueste Militargeschichte an der Schnittstelle von Geschichtswissenschaft Politik Offentlichkeit und Streitkraften Im Auftrag des Militargeschichtlichen Forschungsamtes herausgegeben von Bernhard Chiari Freiburg i Br Berlin Wien Rombach 480 S Neueste Militargeschichte Analysen und Studien 1 48 Euro ISBN 9783 7930 9694 8 Mattelaer Alexander 2009 Europe Rediscovers Peacekeeping Political and Military Logics in the 2006 UNIFIL Enhancement PDF Archived from the original PDF on 6 July 2011 385 KB Egmont Paper 34 Egmont Koninklijk Instituut voor Internationale BetrekkingenExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon UNIFIL UN official mandate Welcome at Unifil UNIFIL Deployment Map UNIFIL site with Pictures amp Stories from Irelands Involvement with UNIFIL 33 10 N 35 23 E 33 167 N 35 383 E 33 167 35 383 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon amp oldid 1207382652, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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