Lebanese peacekeepers in trouble… “We were attacked by both Israel and Hezbollah.”

Israel claims, “We cannot drive out Hezbollah so we must withdraw”
International community emphasizes expanded role in implementing UN resolutions aimed at ending the war

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNFIL) stationed in Lebanon is under constant attack from both Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

According to the British daily Financial Times on the 17th (local time), UNFIL has been under attack by the Israeli military since Israel began ground warfare in southern Lebanon, the base of Hezbollah’s operations, early last month.

At least seven people were injured when the Israeli military attacked the UNFIL base. Last month, 15 soldiers were injured due to smoke from white phosphorus bombs suspected to have been set off by the Israeli military. UNFIL reported that Israeli forces opened fire after witnessing UNFIL demolishing a house in a village in southern Lebanon. When the Israeli military threatened UN forces, such as entering a UNIFIL base with a tank and destroying surveillance cameras, criticism poured in from the international community.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for UNIFIL to withdraw. He argued that UNIFIL is a powerless army that wastes money and that Hezbollah is using UNIFIL as a human shield. Hezbollah is also attacking UNFIL using rockets, and eight people have been injured so far. UNFIL also announced on the 14th that ‘two to three unidentified persons’ fired shots at members who were on patrol.

UNFIL is a United Nations force deployed to the border between Israel and Lebanon to maintain peace since Israel first invaded Lebanon in 1978 while fighting Palestinian militants. Currently, 10,000 troops from 48 countries are stationed there. Korea’s Dongmyeong unit is also responsible for surveillance and reconnaissance of militants in the Tyr area of ​​southern Lebanon.

In order to end the war Israel waged against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006, the UN Security Council announced that the Israeli army would completely withdraw from Lebanon and that only the Lebanese army and UN forces would be stationed south of the Litani River in Lebanon, about 30 km away from the Israeli border. Resolution 1701 was passed. According to the resolution, UNFIL was tasked with assisting the Lebanese Army in auditing southern villages and the border and locating Hezbollah military facilities, such as rocket launchers and tunnels.

However, after the end of the war, the resolution became meaningless as Hezbollah did not withdraw from the border area and further increased its power. Military experts believe that because the Lebanese Army is not strong and UNFIL is not given clear authority, Hezbollah has been unable to break the structure of blending into local communities and gaining support.

Nevertheless, as the international community judges that full implementation of Resolution 1701 is the only solution to the decades-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, there is a possibility that the scope of UNFIL’s activities will expand. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati told the Iranian special envoy visiting Lebanon on the 15th that UNFIL will play an important role in bringing peace to Lebanon, and that the government’s top priority is “the ceasefire and full implementation of Resolution 1701.” Israel has also presented UNFIL with the idea of ​​a much expanded mission that would include inspection powers along all of Lebanon’s borders, the FT reported last month.

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