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Source: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/pros-and-cons-salvaging-or-ditching-unifil
The Pros and Cons of Salvaging or Ditching UNIFIL
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) David Schenker and Assaf Orion - The UN Interim Force in Lebanon numbers 10,000-plus personnel, the densest deployment of peacekeepers in the world. Its mandate is currently up for renewal at the UN Security Council by Aug. 31. Unfortunately, UNIFIL has proven ineffective in carrying out its mission for decades, and absent significant changes, there is little hope it can play a relevant role in securing the Israel-Lebanon frontier. After the 2006 war between Hizbullah and Israel, Security Council Resolution 1701 mandated that UNIFIL help the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) ensure that the area between the Litani River and the southern frontier was "free of any armed personnel, assets, and weapons" other than the government's. Yet, Hizbullah instead expanded its military footprint along the border, prohibited UNIFIL from patrolling broad swaths of territory, and routinely harassed, assaulted, and even killed the force's personnel. UNIFIL's latest report (covering Feb. 21-June 20, 2024) revealed a spike in the already-common "freedom of movement incidents" - 38 cases in which "plainclothes" Hizbullah members or their local supporters harassed UNIFIL patrols, threatened them with weapons, fired at them, stole their equipment, or blocked their communications signals. Far from helping the UN enforce 1701, the LAF has consistently collaborated with Hizbullah while obstructing UNIFIL's access. Because UNIFIL depends on the goodwill of the population for its security, it often demurs from effectively monitoring areas that might generate tension. These factors have eroded Israeli and American trust in UNIFIL. Should the force continue to underperform, Washington should seriously consider vetoing its mandate, ending the deployment, and starting anew. David Schenker, a former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, is director of the program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute. Brig.-Gen. (res.) Assaf Orion, a former head of the IDF Strategic Planning Division, is an international fellow with The Washington Institute.