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On Friday, the United Nations Security Council renewed the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for one year, and reduced their number at the same time, calling on Beirut to facilitate access to the tunnels. that cross the Blue Line that separates Lebanon and Israel.
The diplomats explained that the council unanimously approved the draft resolution prepared by France, unanimously by its 15 members.
The council decision stated that “recognizing that UNIFIL has successfully fulfilled its mandate since 2006, which has enabled it to maintain peace and security since then,” the Council “decides to reduce the maximum number of military personnel from 15,000 to 13,000. “.
The resolution called on the “government of Lebanon to facilitate rapid and full access by UNIFIL to the sites the force wants to investigate, including all locations north of the Blue Line (which separates Lebanon from Israel) related to the discovery of tunnels “in 2019” that allow incursions into Israel. “
It should be noted that UNIFIL was formed in 1978 and patrols Lebanon’s southern border with Israel, known as the Blue Line.
These forces were reinforced in 2006 after a war between Israel and Hezbollah that lasted 33 days, and ended with the issuance of International Resolution 1701, which established a cessation of hostilities and strengthened the deployment of UNIFIL and its missions, since it commissioned monitoring the cessation of hostilities in coordination with the Lebanese army.
The United States, which fully supports Israel, has lobbied, since the beginning of the summer, to reduce the number of UNIFIL and allow access to these tunnels, which are attributed to the establishment of Hezbollah, which is loyal to Iran and has broad influence in southern Lebanon.
And Washington recently denounced the inability of the United Nations to reach the entrances of these tunnels from the Lebanese side.
In the midst of the economic and political crisis in Lebanon, the Lebanese authorities demanded the extension of the United Nations mission without any changes, in a position commensurate with the demand of Hezbollah.
Plan and recommendations
The Security Council resolution asked the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, to “draw up a detailed plan, with specific dates and mechanisms” in coordination with Lebanon and the troop-contributing countries, with the aim of improving performance. of UNIFIL.
In a report, Guterres called for UNIFIL to be “more flexible and more mobile”. “Adapting the position of UNIFIL to suit its operational environment and current and future challenges requires the creation of a more flexible and mobile force,” he said.
Guterres demanded that UNIFIL be more flexible and more mobile (French)“Standard armored personnel carriers are not suitable for congested areas, narrow streets and mountainous terrain. They need smaller vehicles, such as highly mobile light tactical vehicles.”
Guterres emphasized that providing UNIFIL with lighter equipment would reduce the obstacles faced by the movement of this force and its movements.
The Secretary-General noted that it would also be beneficial for UNIFIL to have “a better reconnaissance capability, replacing the heavy infantry posts that serve daily activities with reconnaissance missions.”
Control mechanisms
In his recommendations, Guterres also called for watchtowers to be built and for UNIFIL to use modern technologies, especially data collection, analysis and sharing.
He noted in his report that the monitoring and reconnaissance operations that UNIFIL is currently conducting with the help of surveillance cameras, sensors and remote-controlled surveillance systems, could be strengthened by equipping the UN force with thermal cameras, binoculars and drones, especially to monitor the Blue Line. The denomination of the border line between Lebanon and Israel.
The Security Council asked the UN Secretary General to present the first elements of his plan within 60 days.
In its resolution, the Council condemned “all violations of the Blue Line, by air and by land”, and called on all parties to “respect the cessation of hostilities.”
The resolution called on Guterres to submit swift and detailed reports on violations of Lebanese sovereignty and restrictions hampering UNIFIL movements.
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