Israeli attacks on UNIFIL escalate: a strategy to dismantle peacekeeping efforts in southern Lebanon?
ShafaqNews/ Rising tensions in southern Lebanon are sending shockwaves through theinternational community as Israeli attacks on United Nations peacekeepers,known as UNIFIL, escalate. Israel may be attempting to reshape the presence ofinternational forces. This could involve either removing them entirely ormodifying their mission to better align with Israel's.
Attacks onUNIFIL
Themilitary harassment against UNIFIL soldiers has escalated to such an extentthat UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the recent firing onUNIFIL positions, asserting that such actions by Israel are unacceptable. Thiscondemnation followed concerns raised by the White House regarding theseincidents, which stated that it is deeply concerned about reports of Israelifire directed at UN peacekeepers' positions in Lebanon. The White Houseemphasized that it is essential for Israeli forces to ensure the safety andsecurity of UN peacekeepers.
In astatement received by Shafaq News, UNIFIL confirmed “Two peacekeepers wereinjured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon toward an observation towerat UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting it and causing them tofall. The injuries are fortunately, this time, not serious, but they remain inhospital.”
“IDFsoldiers also fired on UN position (UNP) 1-31 in Labbouneh, hitting theentrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, and damagingvehicles and a communications system. An IDF drone was observed flying insidethe UN position up to the bunker entrance,” the statement proceeded.
The UNIFILalso called on Israel and all parties to “Respect the inviolability of UNpremises at all times. UNIFIL peacekeepers are present in south Lebanon tosupport a return to stability under Security Council mandate. Any deliberateattack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian lawand of Security Council resolution 1701.”
Furthermore,two days ago, an Israeli force backed by tanks and armored vehicles, as part ofits attempts to incursion into villages near the border, took a suspiciousposition adjacent to the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, which could have putthe international soldiers in direct danger because Lebanese resistancefighters were confronting the Israeli forces trying to advance along theborder.
InternationalReactions
Italy,Spain, Canada, and Russia have expressed outrage over the Israeli shelling ofUNIFIL forces, with Moscow's Foreign Ministry calling for an immediate end tohostile actions against them. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez furtheremphasized “Given what is happening in the Middle East, the internationalcommunity to halt arms exports to the Israeli government, stating.”
The defenseministers of Five European countries participating in UNIFIL: Italy, France,Italy, Spain, and Ireland, are scheduled to meet within days to discuss thechallenges posed by Israeli attacks on their security forces and the escalationof the war as Israel's assault on Lebanon expands.
Hezbollahsources said on Monday that it ordered its fighters to be patient and waitbefore targeting Israeli soldiers' movements behind another UN position in thetown of Yaroun, “in order to preserve the lives of its soldiers.”
The Italiannews agency “ANSA” reported that Israel targeted an Italian soldiers' base inUNIFIL with a drone and fired at the entrance of the shelter where the soldierswere taking refuge. While there were no casualties among the Italian troops,Indonesian soldiers were affected. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosettostated, “This cannot be tolerated.”
On itspart, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants said in astatement, on Friday that it “Condemns in the strongest terms the systematicand deliberate targeting of UNIFIL forces by the Israeli army. These repeatedattacks confirm once again Israel's disregard for international legitimacy…These attacks cannot be separated from Israel's repeated and continuousattempts to undermine UNIFIL's mission.”
ConcernsOver UNIFIL's Future Mission
Accordingto a senior Lebanese political source who spoke to Shafaq News, Israel's goalin targeting UNIFIL is to “break all red lines that the enemy does not trustUNIFIL, and wants to send a clear message to everyone that it will not acceptany decision that is not in its favor.”
A LebaneseMP source told Shafaq News “There are fears that the Israeli attacks on UNIFILpositions aim at removing the UN forces from their deployment areas adjacent tothe border so that the invading Israeli forces can destroy the villages nearits northern border without any supervision or witnesses.”
Accordingto a Lebanese political source, there are additional concerns regardingIsrael's efforts to alter UNIFIL’s mission within the framework of any futureceasefire talks. Israel aims to transform UNIFIL into “international police”that would monitor the border on its behalf. This would involve expandingUNIFIL's powers later to allow the use of force to prevent Hezbollah members,or other groups, that may launch attacks on Israel near the border in thefuture.
Lebaneseconcerns about such intentions increased after Israel's ambassador to theUnited Nations, Danny Danon, called for UNIFIL in a statement, “Ourrecommendation is that UNIFIL relocate 5 km north to avoid danger as fightingintensifies and while the situation along the Blue Line remains volatile as aresult of Hezbollah’s aggression… Israel has no desire to be in Lebanon, but itwill do what is necessary” to keep Hezbollah away from its northern border.
Israel haslong considered the UNIFIL mission, which oversees compliance with UN SecurityCouncil Resolution 1701, to be unsatisfactory. The resolution states thatUNIFIL will assist the Lebanese army in ensuring that the area between theLitani River and the border with Israel is “free of any armed elements, assetsor weapons” of non-governmental organizations.
FormerAssistant Secretary of State David Schenker, known for his pro-Israelpositions, said, “To be sure, UNIFIL has been feckless, but 1701 has failedlargely because the LAF and the Lebanese government are not committed to themission,” adding that “With Hezbollah militarily degraded and its command andcontrol disrupted, the organization may be reconsidering its opposition” towithdrawing from south of the Litani River.
AboutUNIFEL
UNIFIL wasformed under UN Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978), whichcalled on Israel to cease its military actions and withdraw its forces from allLebanese territory.
The Councilalso decided to establish the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),and the first UNIFIL troops arrived in the area on March 23, 1978. According tothe UNIFIL website, UNIFIL was formed for three broadly defined objectives:Confirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Restore international peace andsecurity. To assist the Government of Lebanon in extending its effectiveauthorityinthearea.
