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Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-830037
UNIFIL's Failures Cry Out for Overhaul
(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - The 10,150-strong UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been about as effective in stabilizing southern Lebanon as UNRWA has been in resolving the Palestinian refugee issue. Not only has UNIFIL failed in its role of monitoring Hizbullah activity in southern Lebanon, but during the current fighting it has - on more than one occasion - interfered in IDF attempts to clear the border area of Hizbullah fighters. On Tuesday, UNIFIL stated that its peacekeepers were attacked by a rocket "fired most likely by non-state actors in Lebanon," while another incident involved "an armed person" who directly fired at the patrol. UNIFIL's inability to name Hizbullah highlights its fear of the terrorist organization. One of Israel's problems with UNIFIL is its composition. Nearly 22% of the force comes from Islamic states that do not have diplomatic ties with Israel. Countries that take an openly hostile diplomatic position toward Israel make up another 15%. Are these nations truly reliable partners in maintaining future security arrangements that will enable evacuated Israeli residents to return home?