|
Originally,
UNIFIL was created by the Security Council in
1978 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon,
restore international peace and security and
assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its
effective authority in the area. Following the
July/August 2006 crisis, the Council enhanced
the Force and decided that in addition to the
original mandate, it would, among other things,
monitor the cessation of hostilities; accompany
and support the Lebanese armed forces as they
deploy throughout the south of Lebanon; and
extend its assistance to help ensure
humanitarian access to civilian populations and
the voluntary and safe return of displaced
persons. |
 |
According
to Security Council resolutions
425 (1978) and
426 (1978) of 19 March 1978, UNIFIL was established
to:
- Confirm the
withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon;
- Restore
international peace and security;
- Assist the
Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its
effective authority in the area.
According
to Security Council
resolution 1701 (2006) of 11 August 2006, UNIFIL, in
addition to carrying out its mandate under resolutions
425 and 426, shall:
- Monitor the
cessation of hostilities;
- Accompany and
support the Lebanese armed forces as they deploy
throughout the South, including along the Blue Line,
as Israel withdraws its armed forces from Lebanon;
- Coordinate its
activities referred to in the preceding paragraph
(above) with the Government of Lebanon and the
Government of Israel;
- Extend its
assistance to help ensure humanitarian access to
civilian populations and the voluntary and safe
return of displaced persons;
- Assist the Lebanese
armed forces in taking steps towards the
establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani
river of an free of any armed personnel, assets and
weapons other than those of the Government of
Lebanon and of UNIFIL deployed in this area;
- Assist the
Government of Lebanon, at its request, in securing
its borders and other entry points to prevent the
entry in Lebanon without its consent of arms or
related materiel.
By this resolution, the
Council also authorized UNIFIL to take all necessary
action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it
deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area
of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of
any kind; to resist attempts by forceful means to
prevent it from discharging its duties under the mandate
of the Security Council; and to protect United Nations
personnel, facilities, installations and equipment,
ensure the security and freedom of movement of United
Nations personnel, humanitarian workers and, without
prejudice to the responsibility of the Government of
Lebanon, to protect civilians under imminent threat of
physical violence.
In the early 1970s, tension along the
Israel-Lebanon border increased, especially after the
relocation of Palestinian armed elements from Jordan to
Lebanon. Palestinian commando operations against Israel
and Israeli reprisals against Palestinian bases in
Lebanon intensified. On 11 March 1978, a commando attack
in Israel resulted in many dead and wounded among the
Israeli population; the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO) claimed responsibility for that raid.
In response, Israeli forces invaded Lebanon on the night
of 14/15 March, and in a few days occupied the entire
southern part of the country except for the city of Tyre
and its surrounding area.
On 15 March 1978, the Lebanese
Government submitted a strong protest to the Security
Council against the Israeli invasion, stating that it
had no connection with the Palestinian commando
operation. On 19 March, the Council adopted resolutions
425 (1978) and
426 (1978), in which it called upon Israel
immediately to cease its military action and withdraw
its forces from all Lebanese territory. It also decided
on the immediate establishment of the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The first UNIFIL
troops arrived in the area on 23 March 1978.
Resolution 425 (1978) established two requirements.
First, the Security Council called for strict respect
for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political
independence of Lebanon within its internationally
recognized boundaries. Second, the Security Council
called upon Israel immediately to cease its military
action against Lebanese territorial integrity and
withdraw forthwith its forces from all Lebanese
territory.
The Security Council also decided, in
the light of the request of the Government of Lebanon,
to establish immediately a United Nations interim force
for southern Lebanon. This interim force was created for
three broadly defined purposes:
- Confirming the withdrawal of
Israeli forces;
- Restoring international peace and
security;
- Assisting the Government of
Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective
authority in the area
In resolution 426 (1978), the Security
Council approved the report of the Secretary-General on
the implementation of resolution 425 (1978). That report
contained, inter alia, guidelines for the operations of
UNIFIL.
In June 1982, after intense exchange
of fire in southern Lebanon and across the
Israel-Lebanon border, Israel invaded Lebanon again,
reaching and surrounding Beirut. For three years, UNIFIL
remained behind the Israeli lines, with its role limited
to providing protection and humanitarian assistance to
the local population to the extent possible. In 1985,
Israel carried out a partial withdrawal, but it retained
control of an area in southern Lebanon manned by the
Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and by Lebanese de facto
forces (DFF), the so-called "South Lebanon Army" (SLA).
Hostilities continued between Israeli and auxiliary
forces on the one hand, and Lebanese groups who
proclaimed their resistance against the Israeli
occupation on the other.
Over the years, the Security Council
maintained its commitment to Lebanon's territorial
integrity, sovereignty and independence, while the
Secretary-General continued his efforts to persuade
Israel to leave the occupied zone. Israel maintained
that the zone was a temporary arrangement governed by
its security concerns. Lebanon demanded that Israel
withdraw, viewing the occupation as illegal and contrary
to United Nations resolutions.
Although UNIFIL was prevented from
fulfilling its mandate, the Force used its best efforts
to limit the conflict, contribute to stability in the
region and protect the population of the area from the
worst effects of the violence. Despite the impasse, the
Security Council has repeatedly extended the mandate of
UNIFIL at the request of the Government of Lebanon and
on the recommendation of the Secretary-General.
A tragic event happened in UNIFIL’s
area of deployment in April 1996 when more than 120
Lebanese civilians were killed by Israeli fire and an
estimated 500 were wounded. Most of these casualties
occurred on 18 April as a result of the shelling of a UN
compound at Qana. Four UN soldiers were also wounded and
there was extensive damage. This incident was the
subject of an investigation by the Secretary-General’s
Military Adviser, whose
report was conveyed to the Security Council on 7 May
1996.
Israeli Withdrawal
On 17 April 2000, the
Secretary-General received formal notification from the
Government of Israel that it would withdraw its forces
from Lebanon by July 2000 "in full accordance with
Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978)".
He was further informed that in so doing the Government
of Israel intended "to cooperate fully with the United
Nations". The Secretary-General
informed the Security Council of this notification
on the same day, stating that he had initiated
preparations to enable the United Nations to carry out
its responsibilities under those resolutions. On 20
April, the Council
endorsed the Secretary-General's decision to
initiate those preparations.
As a first step, the Secretary-General
sent his Special Envoy, Terje Roed-Larsen (Norway),
together with the Force Commander of UNIFIL and a team
of experts, to meet with the Governments of Israel and
Lebanon and concerned Member States in the region,
including Egypt, Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic.
The delegation also met with the PLO and the League of
Arab States. During the mission, United Nations
cartographic, legal and military experts examined the
technical issues that would need to be addressed in the
context of the implementation of resolution 425 (1978).
Parallel to that mission, which took place between 26
April and 9 May 2000, the Secretary-General consulted
with interested Member States, including those
contributing troops to UNIFIL.
Starting on 16 May, much sooner than
anticipated, IDF/DFF began to vacate its positions, amid
exchange of fire. Beginning on 21 May, large crowds of
Lebanese, accompanied by armed elements, entered
villages in the Israeli-controlled area, and IDF/DFF
vacated their position in great haste. At the same time,
a large number of the de facto forces, together with
their families, crossed into Israel. Others surrendered
to the Lebanese authorities. Within a few days, those
forces had completely disbanded. On 25 May, the
Government of Israel notified the Secretary-General that
Israel had redeployed its forces in compliance with
Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978).
The requirements and tasks related to
the implementation of those resolutions in the new
circumstances were outlined in the Secretary-General's
report of 22 May and
endorsed by the Security Council on 23 May.
Withdrawal Confirmed
From 24 May to 7 June, the Special
Envoy travelled to Israel, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab
Republic to follow up on the implementation of the
Secretary-General's 22 May report. The United Nations
cartographer and his team, assisted by UNIFIL, worked on
the ground to identify a line to be adopted for the
practical purposes of confirming the Israeli withdrawal.
While this was not a formal border demarcation, the aim
was to identify a line on the ground conforming to the
internationally recognized boundaries of Lebanon, based
on the best available cartographic and other documentary
evidence.
The work was completed on 7 June. A
map showing the withdrawal line was formally transmitted
by the Force Commander of UNIFIL to his Lebanese and
Israeli counterparts. Notwithstanding their reservations
about the line, the Governments of Israel and Lebanon
confirmed that identifying this line was solely the
responsibility of the United Nations and that they would
respect the line as identified. On 8 June, UNIFIL teams
commenced the work of verifying the Israeli withdrawal
behind the line.
On 16 June, the Secretary-General
reported to the Security Council that Israel had
withdrawn its forces from Lebanon in accordance with
resolution 425 (1978) and met the requirements defined
in his report of 22 May 2000 -- namely, Israel had
completed the withdrawal in conformity with the line
identified by the United Nations, DFF/SLA had been
dismantled, and all detainees held at Al-Khiam prison
had been freed. The Secretary-General said that the
Government of Lebanon had moved quickly to re-establish
its effective authority in the area through the
deployment of its security forces, and had informed the
United Nations that it would send a composite force
composed of army and internal security personnel to be
based in Marjayoun. It also stated that it would
consider deploying its armed forces throughout southern
Lebanon following confirmation by the Secretary-General
of Israel's withdrawal.
The Secretary-General noted that the
deployment of the armed forces was an essential element
of the return of the effective authority of the
Government in the area. This deployment should be
conducted in coordination with UNIFIL's redeployment in
its area of operations.
On 18 June, the Security Council
welcomed the Secretary-General's report and endorsed
the work done by the United Nations. The Council, inter
alia, called on all parties concerned to cooperate with
the United Nations and to exercise the utmost restraint.
It also noted that the United Nations could not assume
law and order functions that were properly the
responsibility of the Lebanese Government. The Council
welcomed the Government's first steps in that regard,
and called on it to proceed with the deployment of its
armed forces into the Lebanese territory vacated by
Israel as soon as possible, with the assistance of
UNIFIL.
Violations of the Line Reported
Following the verification of the
Israeli withdrawal, UNIFIL found a number of violations,
where the Israeli technical fence crossed the withdrawal
line and the Israel Defence Forces used patrol tracks
that also crossed the line. This halted the deployment
of UNIFIL and the Lebanese troops to the vacated areas.
The Security Council has been kept informed of those
violations. The Government of Lebanon has stated that it
would consent to the deployment of UNIFIL to the vacated
areas only after the Israeli violations had been
corrected. It would then also deploy additional troops
and internal security forces to the area.
From 17 to 23 June, the
Secretary-General visited the region, where he met with
several leaders, including leaders of Israel and
Lebanon. The main topic of their discussion was the
implementation of Security Council resolution 425
(1978). The Special Envoy followed up on those
discussions in meetings with the Israeli and Lebanese
authorities from 6 to 14 July.
The Government of Israel committed
itself to the removal of all Israeli violations of the
withdrawal line by the end of July 2000.
Further Developments
The situation in the area of UNIFIL
operation remained generally calm. The Lebanese army,
gendarmerie, and police established checkpoints in the
vacated area, controlling movement and maintaining law
and order. The Lebanese army retrieved heavy weapons
abandoned by IDF/DFF. UNIFIL patrolled the area and,
together with the Lebanese authorities, provided
humanitarian assistance by supplying water, medical
treatment and food to needy families. UNIFIL also
assisted former members of the de facto forces and their
families who decided to return from Israel to Lebanon.
The Force monitored the line of
withdrawal on a daily basis, by means of ground and air
patrols. It examined possible violations from both sides
of the line, as many of the areas could only be accessed
from the Israeli side, owing to the presence of mines
and unexploded ordnance on the Lebanese side. The
Force's liaison arrangements provided a constant link
with the Chief of Operations of the Israel Defence
Forces and the Director of Lebanese General Security, as
well as with the normal chain of command on each side.
Any violations of the withdrawal line were immediately
brought to the attention of the side concerned.
In his
report, submitted to the Security Council on 20 July
2000, the Secretary-General stated that southern Lebanon
had seen dramatic change. The Israeli forces had left,
their local Lebanese auxiliary had been disbanded, and
after more than two decades the guns had fallen silent.
He warned, however, that while there had been enormous
improvement, the situation in the Israel-Lebanon sector
fell well short of peace, and the potential for serious
incidents still existed. Therefore, both sides should
maintain effective liaison with UNIFIL and take prompt
action to rectify any violations or incidents brought to
their attention.
In a
letter addressed to the Secretary-General on 11
July, the Permanent Representative of Lebanon conveyed
his Government's request that the Security Council
extend the mandate of UNIFIL for a further interim
period of six months, that is until 31 January 2001. In
his 20 July report, the Secretary-General recommended
that the Council accede to this request, on the
understanding that the Force would be enabled to deploy
and function fully throughout its area of operation, and
that the Lebanese authorities would strengthen their own
presence in the area by deploying additional troops and
internal security forces. The UNIFIL deployment must be
closely coordinated with that of the Lebanese forces.
There was a "good chance", the
Secretary-General said, to achieve in the coming months
the objectives of Security Council resolution 425 (1978)
and for UNIFIL to complete the tasks originally assigned
to it. He said he would report to the Security Council
by the end of October on the latest developments.
The Secretary-General also called for
increased foreign aid to Lebanon, noting that the
reintegration of the southern area would impose a heavy
burden on Lebanon and that the clearance of landmines
and unexploded ordnance would be a "vast task" requiring
international assistance. "I should like to encourage
Member States to cooperate with the Government of
Lebanon and the United Nations agencies and programmes
in support of the reconstruction and development of the
area, not only for its own sake but as an important
contribution to stability in this potentially still
volatile part of the world."
On 24 July, further to his report of
20 July, the Secretary-General
informed the Security Council that the Israeli
authorities had removed all violations of the line of
withdrawal. On the same day, in a meeting with the
Secretary-General's Special Envoy, Lebanese President
Emile Lahoud and Prime Minister Selim el-Hoss gave their
consent to the full deployment of UNIFIL. The Force's
deployment was scheduled to take place on 26 July and
was to be immediately followed by the deployment to the
formerly Israeli-controlled area of the composite
Lebanese unit, comprising army and internal security
personnel.
On 27 July, the Security Council
decided to extend the mandate of UNIFIL until 31 January
2001. Unanimously adopting resolution
1310 (2000), the Council called on the Government of
Lebanon to ensure the return of its effective authority
and presence in the south, and, in particular, to
proceed with a significant deployment of the Lebanese
armed forces as soon as possible.
It also reaffirmed that the expected
redeployment of UNIFIL should be conducted in
coordination with the Government of Lebanon and the
Lebanese armed forces, and re-emphasized its terms of
reference and general guidelines as stated in the report
of the Secretary-General of 19 March 1978, approved by
resolution 426 (1978).
Welcoming the statement of the
Secretary-General that as of 24 July the Government of
Israel had removed all violations of the withdrawal
line, the Council called on the parties to respect that
line, to exercise utmost restraint and to cooperate
fully with the United Nations and with UNIFIL.
Reiterating its strong support for the
territorial integrity, sovereignty and political
independence of Lebanon within its internationally
recognized boundaries, the Council stressed the
importance of, and the need to achieve, a comprehensive,
just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on all
its relevant resolutions.
Augmentation of UNIFIL
In the
report of 22 May, the Secretary-General described
the additional means required by UNIFIL to carry out its
tasks under resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978)
following the Israeli withdrawal. He stated that UNIFIL
would require phased reinforcement to carry out its
responsibilities in the light of the security situation
in southern Lebanon, as well as taking into account the
additional territory that it would have to cover
following the Israeli withdrawal. The total troop
strength for carrying out the tasks related to
confirming the withdrawal would increase from the
previous level of 4,513 to approximately 5,600. Once the
Israeli withdrawal was confirmed, the May report said,
UNIFIL would have to be reinforced bringing its strength
to a total of eight battalions plus appropriate support
units, or approximately 7,935 peacekeepers.
In his further
report, submitted to the Security Council on 20
July, the Secretary-General said that the first phase of
the reinforcement of UNIFIL was under way. In June, the
mine-clearance capacity of UNIFIL was reinforced with
two units from Sweden and Ukraine. In addition, an
engineer battalion of 600 all ranks from Ukraine was
scheduled to arrive in UNIFIL by the end of July. The
units from Finland, Ghana, Ireland and Nepal had been
reinforced; and Fiji and India had also undertaken to
reinforce their units.
At the same time, the
Secretary-General informed the Council that the United
Nations had yet to receive commitments for the
additional two infantry battalions that would meet the
requirements, namely a high degree of self-sufficiency
and the capability to deploy to the mission area using
national assets. In the absence of these reinforcements,
the Force Commander of UNIFIL had devised a deployment
plan using existing resources and reinforcements to
cover the area vacated by the Israel Defence Forces,
through a combination of mobile patrols, patrol bases
and temporary observation posts.
Situation in the Area, July-October
2000
From the end of July until early
October 2000, the situation in the UNIFIL area of
operations was generally calm, except for numerous minor
violations of the line of withdrawal, the so-called Blue
Line. A serious incident occurred on 7 October. In the
context of the tension in the Occupied Territories and
Israel, about 500 Palestinians and supporters approached
the line south of Marwahin to demonstrate against
Israel. As the crowd attempted to cross the Israeli
border fence, Israeli troops opened fire, killing three
and injuring some 20. Since then, the Lebanese
authorities have prevented further demonstrations by
Palestinians on the line. Later the same day, in a
serious breach of the ceasefire, Hizbollah launched an
attack across the Blue Line about 3 kilometres south of
Shaba and took three Israeli soldiers prisoner. On 20
October, three Palestinians crossed the Blue Line east
of Kafr Shuba and tried to break through the Israeli
technical fence, which runs some distance behind the
line. The Israeli forces responded with heavy fire. One
of the three was killed; the others managed to get away.
On 9 August the Lebanese Government
deployed a Joint Security Force of 1,000 all ranks,
which was drawn from the Internal Security Forces and
the Lebanese army. The Force established its
headquarters in Marjayoun and Bint Jubayl and began
intensive patrolling, with occasional roadblocks.
Lebanese security services established a strong presence
in Naqoura, and the Lebanese police resumed operations
in key villages. The Lebanese army deployed in
mid-September in the Jezzine area, which the de facto
forces had vacated in January.
Lebanese administrators, police,
security and army personnel function throughout the
area, and their presence and activities continued to
grow. They began re-establishing local administration in
the villages and have made progress in re-integrating
the communications, infrastructure, health and welfare
systems with the rest of the country. In late August the
former Israeli-controlled area participated, for the
first time since 1972, in a parliamentary election.
However, near the Blue Line the
authorities have, in effect, left control to Hizbollah.
Its members worked in civilian attire and were normally
unarmed. They monitored the Blue Line, maintained public
order and, in some villages, provided social, medical
and education services.
The Government of Lebanon took the
position that, so long as there was no comprehensive
peace with Israel, the army would not act as a border
guard for Israel and would not be deployed to the
border.
UNIFIL monitored the area through
ground and air patrols and a network of observation
posts. It acted to correct violations by raising them
with the side concerned, and used its best efforts,
through continuous, close liaison with both sides, to
prevent friction and limit incidents. However, UNIFIL
has not been able to persuade the Lebanese authorities
to assume their full responsibilities along the Blue
Line.
At the end of July and in early August
UNIFIL redeployed southwards and up to the Blue Line.
The redeployment proceeded smoothly, with the Lebanese
authorities assisting in securing land and premises for
new positions. At the same time, in order to free the
capacity needed for the move south, UNIFIL vacated an
area in the rear and handed it over to the Lebanese
authorities.
The clearance of mines and unexploded
ordnance was an important concern, especially in
connection with the redeployment. UNIFIL also assisted
in humanitarian demining activities and set up an
information management system for mine action. In Tyre,
Lebanon, a regional mine action cell was established
with the help of the United Nations Mine Action Service,
which cooperated closely with the Lebanese national
demining office.
Reporting in
October 2000 "tangible progress" in Lebanon's efforts to
restore services to the territory vacated by Israel, the
Secretary-General stressed the need for the Lebanese
Government to take effective control of the whole area
and assume full responsibilities there, including
putting an end to continuing provocations on the Blue
Line. Pointing to a clear sequence of steps spelled out
in the underlying 1978 Security Council resolution 425
on Lebanon, he noted that after the restoration of the
effective authority by Lebanon, both the Lebanese and
Israeli Governments are to be fully responsible, in
accordance with their international obligations, for
preventing any hostile acts from their respective
territory against that of their neighbour. "I believe
that the time has come to establish the state of affairs
envisaged in the resolution," the Secretary-General
wrote in reference to resolution 425. Underscoring the
need for the Government of Lebanon to assert its
authority over the entire area from which Israel had
withdrawn, the Secretary-General warned that otherwise
"there is a danger that Lebanon may once again be an
arena, albeit not necessarily the only one, of conflict
between others."
Security Council members met to
discuss the situation in South Lebanon on 14 November.
In a Presidential statement to the press issued on the
same day, the Council called for an end to the
"dangerous violations that have continued" along the
Blue Line. It agreed with the conclusions of the
Secretary-General that although there had been "tangible
progress" in implementing resolution 425, "it was
required that the Government of Lebanon take effective
control of the whole area vacated by Israel last spring
and assume its full international responsibilities".
UNIFIL Strength Reduced
The Secretary-General further
reported to the Security Council on 22 January 2001.
In the report, he gave an overview of the situation in
the mission's area of operations, made suggestions for
reconfiguring the Force and recommended further
extending its mandate for a period of six months.
According to the report, the situation
in UNIFIL's area of operation remained generally stable,
although there were numerous minor violations of the
Blue Line. Such violations were largely the result of
Israeli construction work on a technical fence along the
line, of crossings by Lebanese shepherds and sometimes
crossings by vehicles in places where the Israeli fence
was some distance from the line. There were, however,
occasional incidents at certain sensitive locations and
five serious breaches of the line.
The overall security situation in
UNIFIL's area of operation remained good, and had
further improved since October, the report stated.
Residents who were away during the Israeli occupation
continued to return. In addition, former members of the
former de facto forces and their families (about 1,600
in all) returned to Lebanon.
Speaking of the reconfiguration of the
United Nations presence in south Lebanon, the
Secretary-General stated that of the three parts of its
mandate, UNIFIL had essentially completed two. It
confirmed the withdrawal of Israeli forces and assisted,
to the extent it could, the Lebanese authorities as they
returned to the area vacated by Israel. UNIFIL continued
to function in close cooperation with those authorities
and no longer exercised any control over the area of
operation. The Lebanese Government, however, still did
not deploy its personnel down to the Blue Line.
UNIFIL focused on the remaining part
of its mandate: the restoration of international peace
and security, the report continued. Pending a
comprehensive peace, UNIFIL sought at least to maintain
the ceasefire along the Blue Line, through patrols and
observation from fixed positions and close contact with
the parties, with a view to correcting violations and
preventing the escalation of incidents. The
Secretary-General believed that the need for the United
Nations to perform such functions would continue to
exist in the foreseeable future.
These functions, the Secretary-General
wrote, were those of an observer mission. However, in
view of the conditions in the region, he stated that he
would be reluctant to entrust the task to unarmed
observers alone, and would recommend instead a
combination of armed infantry and unarmed observers. He
suggested two infantry battalions, a group of UNTSO
observers and support.
In view of the tense situation in the
region, a prudent approach is appropriate, the
Secretary-General stated. Should the Security Council
opt for the suggested configuration, it might consider
proceeding in stages. A possible first stage might be to
return UNIFIL to the strength it had before the
augmentation last year, that is, to about 4,500 all
ranks.
He then noted that Lebanon requested
that the Council extend the mandate of UNIFIL for a
further period of six months. In the light of the
conditions prevailing in the area, the Secretary-General
supported the extension and recommended that the Council
extend UNIFIL's mandate until 31 July 2001.
On 30 January 2001, the Security
Council, by its
resolution 1337 (2001), decided to extend UNIFIL for
a further period of six months. It also decided to
return the authorized military strength of the Force
UNIFIL to its previous operational level (4,500 all
ranks) by 31 July 2001. The Council endorsed the general
approach for reconfiguration of UNIFIL, and requested
the Secretary-General to submit to the Council a
detailed report by 30 April 2001 on UNIFIL
reconfiguration plans and on the tasks that could be
carried out by UNTSO.
By other terms of the resolution, the
Council called on the Government of Lebanon to ensure
the return of its effective authority and presence in
the south, and in particular to increase the rate of the
deployment of its armed forces. It encouraged the
Government of Lebanon to ensure a calm environment
throughout the south, including through the control of
all checkpoints. The Council condemned all acts of
violence, expressed concern about the serious breaches
and violations of the withdrawal line and urged the
parties to put an end to them, and urged respect for the
safety of UNIFIL personnel. The Council also reiterated
its strong support for the territorial integrity,
sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon within
its internationally recognized boundaries.
Reconfiguration of UNIFIL
As requested, on 30 April, the
Secretary-General submitted recommendations to the
Security Council for reconfiguration of UNIFIL. In the
report to the Council, he noted that pending a
comprehensive peace, the Force would concentrate on
maintaining the ceasefire along the Blue Line, including
through close contact with the parties aimed at
correcting violations and preventing any escalation. In
view of the conditions in the region, the
Secretary-General recommended that UNIFIL function with
a combination of armed infantry and unarmed observers.
As of 31 March, the Force was
comprised of over 5,700 troops. The reconfiguration
envisaged in the report called for deploying most troops
in protected positions close to the Blue Line, while
leaving UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura covered by a
separate guard. The demining unit would also be
maintained. Through a gradual reduction, the Force would
eventually comprise 2,000 all ranks, including troops
from France, Ghana, India, Italy, Poland and Ukraine.
The reconfiguration would be achieved in the course of
normal troop rotations.
The Secretary-General proposed that
the Force maintain a strength of about 3,600 until
January 2002. He added that "unless there is any drastic
change in the region," the reconfiguration could be
completed by the end of July 2002.
Situation in the Area, January
2001-January 2002
The Secretary-General further
reported to the Security Council on 20 July 2001.
According to the report, the situation during the period
from January to July 2001 had been generally stable,
with the exception of ongoing tensions and breaches of
the Blue Line connected with the dispute over the Shab'a
Farms area. There continued to be numerous minor ground
violations, those from the Israeli side largely
attributable to the construction of a fence along the
line. Those from the Lebanese side amounted to crossings
by shepherds and occasional vehicles.
Regarding air violations, the report
stated that Israeli aircraft violated the line on an
almost daily basis, penetrating deep into Lebanese
airspace. The report further described several
incidents, including demonstrations on the Lebanese
side, exchanges of fire between Israeli soldiers and
Hizbollah, and destruction of a Syrian army radar
position in the Bekaa Valley.
Also according to the report, the
Government of Lebanon continued to maintain the position
that, as long as there is no comprehensive peace with
Israel, the Lebanese armed forces would not be deployed
along the Blue Line. Areas along the Blue Line were
monitored by Hizbollah through a network of mobile and
fixed positions. Sometimes, Hizbollah acted as surrogate
for the civil administration by extending social,
medical and educational services to the local
population. On several occasions, Hizbollah personnel
restricted the freedom of movement of UNIFIL and
interfered with its redeployment.
The focus of UNIFIL operations
remained on the Blue Line and the adjacent area, where
UNIFIL sought to maintain the ceasefire through patrols,
observation from fixed positions and close contact with
the parties. The mission continued to assist the
civilian population in the form of medical care, water
projects, equipment or services for schools and
orphanages and supplies of social services to the needy.
Clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance in southern
Lebanon gained additional momentum.
The document further reported a
controversy that arose between the Israeli authorities
and the United Nations over a UNIFIL videotape, filmed
on 8 October 2000, of vehicles that may have been used
by Hizbollah in the abduction of three Israeli Defence
Force soldiers on 7 October 2000. Israel and Lebanon
were offered the opportunity to view the tape, with the
identities of non-United Nations personnel obscured, on
United Nations premises. An
investigation was initiated into the internal
handling of the matter.
Regarding the reconfiguration and
redeployment of UNIFIL, the report stated that as of 1
August 2001 the Force would return to a strength of
around 4,500 and would be composed of troops from Fiji,
Finland, France, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Nepal,
Poland and Ukraine. The departure of the Irish and
Finnish contingents in the autumn would bring the
strength of the Force to about 3,600. The UNIFIL was
assisted in its tasks by 51 military observers of the
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).
The Secretary-General concluded that
as the incidents in the area had the potential to
threaten the stability of the region, it was of
paramount importance that all parties concerned respect
the Blue Line, cease all violations thereof and desist
from any action that could serve to destabilize the
situation. The Lebanese Government should take more
steps to ensure the return of effective Lebanese
authority throughout the south, including the deployment
of its army. A more energetic and concerted effort to
restore basic services to the population, and the full
return of the local administration, should be integral
to this process.
In the light of conditions prevailing
in the area, the Secretary-General recommended that the
Security Council extend the mandate of UNIFIL until 31
January 2002. On 31 July, the Council extended the
mandate of the Force as recommended, while calling for a
continued reconfiguration of the Force in response to
prevailing conditions.
In its resolution
1365 (2001), the Council requested the
Secretary-General to continue taking the necessary
measures to implement the reconfiguration and
redeployment of the Force "in the light of developments
on the ground and in consultation with the Government of
Lebanon and the troop-contributing countries."
The Council called on the parties to
respect fully the withdrawal line, to exercise utmost
restraint and to cooperate fully with the United
Nations. Condemning all acts of violence, the Council
expressed great concern about the serious breaches and
the air, sea and land violations of the withdrawal line,
and urged the parties to put an end to them and to
respect the safety of the UNIFIL personnel. The parties
were also called on to ensure that UNIFIL is accorded
full freedom of movement throughout its area of
operation.
Looking to the broader quest for an
end to the violence in the region, the text stressed the
need to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace
in the Middle East, based on all of the Council's
relevant resolutions.
By other provisions, the Council
called on the Lebanese Government to ensure the return
of its effective authority throughout the south,
including through the deployment of the country's armed
forces there. The Government was also encouraged to
ensure a calm environment in the area.
Concerning the problem of landmines,
the Council welcomed UNIFIL's efforts to cope with the
problem and encouraged the UN to provide Lebanon with
further assistance in mine action. The Council also
stressed "the necessity to provide the Government of
Lebanon and UNIFIL with any additional maps and records
on the location of mines."
In his further
report on UNIFIL dated 16 January 2002, the
Secretary-General said that the UNIFIL area of operation
had continued to be generally calm, with low incident
and tension levels recorded since his July 2001 report.
The focus of UNIFIL operations remained on the Blue Line
and the adjacent area, with UNIFIL working with the
parties to avert or correct violations and to defuse
tensions.
According to the report of the
Secretary-General, serious breaches of the ceasefire in
the Shab'a farms area remained a cause of concern. On 3
October, Hezbollah fired 18 missiles and 33 mortar
rounds at two positions of the Israeli Defence Forces
(IDF) on the line south-east of Kafr Shuba. On 22
October, Hezbollah fired 10 missiles and 61 mortar
rounds at five IDF positions in the same vicinity. In
both instances, the IDF responded with heavy artillery
and mortar fire to the Lebanese side of the line in the
same vicinity, in the latter case also dropping two
air-to-ground missiles. There were no casualties from
either incident.
Of equal concern, stated the
Secretary-General, were Israeli air violations of the
Blue Line, which continued on an almost daily basis,
penetrating deep into Lebanese airspace. These
incursions were not justified and caused great concern
to the civilian population, particularly low-altitude
flights that break the sound barrier over populated
areas. The air violations were ongoing, although
démarches to the Israeli authorities, calling on them to
cease the overflights and to fully respect the Blue
Line, had been made repeatedly by the United Nations,
including by the Secretary-General, and a number of
interested governments.
The Secretary-General once again
stressed the critical need for all parties concerned to
respect the Blue Line, as repeatedly called for by the
Council, to cease all violations, and to refrain from
action that could serve to destabilize the situation.
The Government of Lebanon continued to
take additional steps to restore its effective authority
throughout the south, but this was limited to
strengthening the presence of security forces and
supporting the local administration, and did not include
additional deployment of the Lebanese army. The
Government continued to let Hezbollah operate close to
the Blue Line. The Secretary-General also drew attention
to the fact that, on several occasions, Hezbollah
personnel interfered with the freedom of movement of
UNIFIL. Although freedom of movement was re-established
after UNIFIL brought specific restrictions to the
attention of the Lebanese authorities, the restrictions
are recurrent.
The Secretary-General again urged the
Lebanese Government to take more steps to extend its
authority to all of southern Lebanon, as called for by
the Council, stressing that it should make a more
concerted effort to take full responsibility for the
provision of basic services to the population and for
the deployment of the army.
Addressing the reconfiguration of
UNIFIL, which had now assumed the functions of an
observer mission, the Secretary-General recommended that
the Force be stabilized at a strength of close to 2,000
(all ranks) by the end of 2002. A reconfigured Force
would continue to contribute to stability in southern
Lebanon by monitoring and observing along the Blue Line.
The Secretary-General stated that
progress had also been achieved in discussions between
the United Nations and Israel on issues connected to the
UNIFIL videotapes of events related to the abduction by
Hezbollah of three Israeli soldiers on 7 October 2000
(see above).
The Secretary-General recommended that
the Security Council extend UNIFIL's mandate until 31
July 2002. On 28 January 2002, the Council extended the
mandate of the Force by a further six months, condemning
all acts of violence and expressing great concern about
the serious violations of the withdrawal line separating
Lebanese and Israeli forces.
Through the unanimous adoption of
resolution
1391 (2002), the Council urged the parties to put an
end to those violations and respect the safety of UNIFIL
personnel. It supported the continued efforts of the
Force to maintain the ceasefire along the withdrawal
line and to correct violations, resolve incidents and
prevent their escalation.
In a related provision, the Council
requested the Secretary-General to take the necessary
measures to implement the reconfiguration of UNIFIL as
outlined in his report and in accordance with the
letter of the Council President of 18 May 2001, in
the light of developments on the ground and in
consultation with the Government of Lebanon and the
troop-contributing countries.
The Council again called on the
Lebanese Government to continue to take steps to ensure
the return of its effective authority throughout the
south, including the deployment of Lebanese armed
forces. It encouraged the Government to ensure a calm
environment in the south.
Situation in the Area, January
2002- January 2003
In his
report on the Force dated 12 July 2002, the
Secretary-General said that tensions increased in that
mission's area of operation over the past six months
(from 17 January to 12 July 2002), with an outbreak of
violent incidents across the Blue Line during the first
two weeks of April surpassing any activity since the
Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000. Those
events coincided with the substantial escalation of
tension in Israel and the occupied Palestinian
territory. Militant activities were carried out by
Hezbollah, as well as Palestinian and unidentified
elements both inside and outside the Shab'a farms area.
Also, throughout most of the reporting period,
unjustified Israeli incursions into sovereign Lebanese
airspace continued on an almost daily basis, often
penetrating deep into Lebanon. Those events have
underscored the fragility of the situation and
demonstrated how readily tensions could escalate.
The report further stated that the
United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East
Peace Process, Terje Roed-Larsen, and the
Secretary-General's Personal Representative for southern
Lebanon, Staffan de Mistura, engaged in concerted
diplomatic activity to de-escalate the violence, the
report further stated. The UNIFIL increased its patrols,
and its Commander intervened personally with the parties
on the ground to contain incidents. Key members of the
international community were also active in urging the
parties to exercise restraint.
Violations of the Blue Line, whether
they entail a physical crossing of the line or skirting
it, could not be justified, the Secretary-General
stated. The Government of Lebanon, however, continued to
maintain the position that, as long as there was no
comprehensive peace with Israel, the Lebanese armed
forces would not be deployed along the Blue Line. In
that vacuum, Hezbollah maintained its visible presence
near the line through its network of mobile and fixed
positions, also continuing to extend social, medical and
educational services to the local population in areas
near the Blue Line.
The Secretary-General also remained
concerned about the restriction of movement on UNIFIL
personnel, who must be able to carry out their mandate.
In the most serious incident, on 4 April, about 15
Hezbollah personnel forced an Observer Group Lebanon
patrol south-west of Kafr Shuba to stop at gunpoint and
assaulted the observers with rifle butts, injuring
three, one seriously.
The Secretary-General informed the
Council that planning for the reconfiguration of UNIFIL
proceeded during the period under review. The next phase
of the reduction and redeployment was commencing at the
time of writing of the report, with the repatriation and
non-replacement of about 135 Ukrainian troops. Owing to
operational exigencies, the first planned reduction of
the Fijian contingent scheduled for June was postponed
till August. That technical adjustment to the schedule
did not, however, otherwise affect the timetable set
forth in the Secretary-General's previous report (S/2002/55).
The Force would be stabilized at a strength of 2,000 by
the end of 2002.
In the light of conditions prevailing
in the area, the Secretary-General recommended to the
Security Council to extend the mandate of UNIFIL until
31 January 2003.
On 30 July 2002, the Council,
stressing the need to achieve a comprehensive, just and
lasting peace in the Middle East based on all its
relevant resolutions, decided to extend the mandate of
the Force until 31 January 2003.
By its unanimous adoption of
resolution
1428 (2002) , the Council condemned all acts of
violence. Expressing great concern over the serious
breaches, as well as the air, sea and land violations of
the withdrawal line, the Council urged the parties to
put an end to those violations and abide scrupulously by
their obligation to respect the safety of UNIFIL and
other United Nations personnel.
In a related provision, the Council
called on the parties to ensure UNIFIL is accorded full
freedom of movement in the discharge of its mandate
throughout its area of operation. Council members
expressed support for the continued efforts of UNIFIL to
maintain the ceasefire along the withdrawal line and to
resolve incidents and prevent escalations.
The Council encouraged the Government
of Lebanon to ensure a calm environment throughout the
south, and commended the steps it had taken to ensure
the return of its effective authority throughout that
region, including the deployment of Lebanese armed
forces, and called on it to continue those measures.
In his further
report on UNIFIL dated 14 January 2003, the
Secretary-General said that the UNIFIL area of operation
had been calm for the most part, with a substantial
reduction in the number of incidents relative to the
last report. Tension, however, continued to prevail.
This tension was demonstrated most visibly by the
unresolved Hasbani River matter, as well as the
provocative cycle of Israeli air violations and
Hezbollah anti-aircraft fire. The Shab'a farms area also
remained a significant source of concern.
Each violation of the Blue Line and
any provocation emanating from either side risked
escalation of tensions and descent into confrontation,
stated the report. The Secretary-General once again
emphasized the need for all parties concerned to fully
respect the withdrawal line identified by the United
Nations, to cease all violations of the Line and to
refrain from any action that could serve to destabilize
the situation on the ground.
The implementation of the
Secretary-General's recommendations to the Council for
reconfiguration of UNIFIL was completed at the end of
2002, the report continued. At that stage, no further
reduction to the current Force level of 2,000 was
envisaged. The Secretary-General recommended that the
Security Council extend the Mission's mandate until 31
July 2003.
By unanimously adopting resolution
1461 (2003), the Council extended UNIFIL's mandate
accordingly. It also condemned all acts of violence,
expressed great concern about the serious breaches and
the air, sea and land violations of the withdrawal line,
and urged the parties to put an end to those violations,
and to abide scrupulously by their obligation to respect
the safety of UNIFIL and other United Nations personnel.
In addition, the Council reiterated
its call on the parties to continue to fulfil the
commitments they have given to respect fully the
withdrawal line identified by the United Nations. It
also supported the continued efforts of UNIFIL to
maintain the ceasefire along the withdrawal line through
mobile patrols and observation from fixed positions and
through close contacts with the parties to correct
violations, resolve incidents and prevent their
escalation.
The Council also commended the
Lebanese Government for taking steps to ensure the
return of its effective authority throughout the south,
including the deployment of Lebanese armed forces. It
called on the Government to continue these measures and
to do its utmost to ensure a calm environment throughout
the south.
Situation in the Area, January -
July 2003
In his
report on UNIFIL dated 23 July 2003 and covering the
period since 15 January, the Secretary-General observed
that "almost six months have passed since the last
violent exchange across the Blue Line, the longest
period of relative calm since Israel withdrew from
Lebanon more than three years ago after 22 years of
occupation." An additional indicator of stabilization in
southern Lebanon has been the success of demining
efforts.
"Nevertheless, tension between Israel
and Lebanon remains high and the relative calm along the
Blue Line is an uneasy one," he noted. The most
significant sources of tensions were the persistent
Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace and the
Hezbollah anti-aircraft fire directed towards Israeli
villages.
Stressing the need for both parties to
refrain from any action that could destabilize the
situation on the ground, the Secretary-General warned:
"Both the air incursions and the fire violations carry
substantial potential for escalation."
The Secretary-General noted that the
Lebanese Government had demonstrated its capacity to
increase its authority throughout southern Lebanon,
particularly through the activities of the Joint
Security Forces and the Lebanese Army. He added that,
consistent with Security Council resolution 425 (1978),
Lebanon should continue to deploy its armed forces to
extend its control over the south.
The Secretary-General, who recommended
a six-month extension of the UNIFIL mandate, said the
Mission would continue to contribute to the restoration
of peace and security through observing, monitoring and
reporting on developments in its area of operation,
liaising with the parties to maintain calm.
The Security Council, by adopting its
resolution 1496 (2003) of 31 July, extended the
mandate of the UNIFIL until 31 January 2004. The Council
urged the parties to end the serious breaches and the
air, sea and land violations of the withdrawal line and
to abide by their obligation to respect the safety of
UNIFIL and other United Nations personnel.
Welcoming the steps taken by the
Lebanese Government to ensure the return of its
effective authority throughout the south of the country,
the Council called on it to continue to extend those
measures and to do its utmost to ensure a calm
environment throughout the south.
Applauding the progress in demining
efforts, the Council stressed the need to provide the
Lebanese Government and UNIFIL with any additional maps
and records on the location of mines.
Further, the Council stressed the
importance of, and the need to achieve, a comprehensive,
just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on all
its relevant resolutions, including resolution 242
(1967) and 338 (1973), and looked forward to the early
fulfilment of UNIFIL's mandate.
Situation in the Area, July
2003 - January 2004
In his
report dated 20 January 2004 and covering the period
since 24 July 2003, the Secretary-General said that the
relative calm that had prevailed in the first half of
the year gave way to renewed exchanges of fire in the
Shab’a farms area. Air strikes and shooting incidents
across the Blue Line resulted in the deaths of three
Israelis, two soldiers and a civilian, and three
Lebanese civilians. The persistent Israeli violations of
Lebanese airspace and several instances of Hizbollah
anti-aircraft fire directed towards Israeli villages
contributed significantly to the tension.
Landmines, he said, remained a matter
of serious concern. However, collaboration between the
United Nations and various partners continued to yield
impressive results in southern Lebanon. A further half
million square metres of previously contaminated land
was returned to productive usage and a further 20,000
landmines were located and destroyed, bringing the total
area of land cleared to approximately 4.8 million square
metres.
Progress also continued in the areas
of assistance to the civilian population and the
integration of the formerly occupied zone with the rest
of the country, including infrastructure, health and
welfare systems, as well as postal services and
communications.
The Security Council, in its
resolution 1525 (2004) of 30 January 2004 extended
the mandate of UNIFIL until 31 July 2004.
Situation in the Area, January
- July 2004
In his
report dated 21 July 2004 and covering the period
since 21 January, the Secretary-General described the
situation in south Lebanon as being “replete with
contradictions”. While both Israel and Lebanon
proclaimed their aspirations to avoid destabilization of
the area, only one month passed without confrontation.
He appealed to all sides to rein in their forces. "I
cannot stress enough the need for the parties to abide
by their obligations under the relevant Security Council
resolutions, to respect the withdrawal line in its
entirety and to exercise the utmost restraint."
The Secretary-General also voiced deep concern that “
Israel persists in its provocative and unjustified air
violations of sovereign Lebanese territory. Hezbollah's
retaliatory firing of anti-aircraft rounds across the
Blue Line "is a violation that poses a direct threat to
human life", he added. The Secretary-General warned that
considerable risk remained that hostile acts would
escalate and lead the parties into conflict and
recommended extending UNIFIL for an additional six
months.
On the positive side, the report noted that the whole of
southern Lebanon -- including all villages in the
formerly Israeli-occupied zone down to the Blue Line --
successfully took part in municipal elections. Hailing
this development as "a clear assertion of the exercise
of authority by the Government of Lebanon", the
Secretary-General urged the country's authorities to
"ensure the return of its effective authority throughout
the south, including the deployment of Lebanese armed
forces, and to do its utmost to ensure calm".
The Security Council, in its
resolution 1553 (2004) of 29 July 2004 , extended
the mandate of UNIFIL until 31 January 2005 and
reiterated its strong support for the territorial
integrity, sovereignty and political independence of
Lebanon within its internationally recognized
boundaries. Condemning all acts of violence, the Council
also expressed great concern about the sea, land and
continuing air violations of the withdrawal line. It
urged the parties to end those violations, to refrain
from any act or provocation that could further escalate
tension and to abide scrupulously by the obligation to
respect the safety of UNIFIL and other United Nations
personnel.
Situation in the Area, July
2004 – January 2005
Reporting to
the Security Council on 20 January 2005 , the
Secretary-General said that, over the period from July
2004 through January 2005, the Blue Line had enjoyed a
prolonged period of relative quiet. The
Secretary-General had hoped that this situation would
present an opportunity for achieving progress towards
the objective of bringing international peace and
security to southern Lebanon . But, as had been
demonstrated more than once over the past four years,
and again in January 2005, significant periods of quiet
along the Blue Line were often followed by episodes of
hostilities. Furthermore, the Secretary-General
continued, while violent incidents were considerably
fewer than during the previous reporting period,
tensions between the parties did not at any point
appreciably diminish. Hostile rhetoric remained the
norm, and stability continued to be threatened, most
dramatically by the incidents of 9 and 17 January, but
also by rogue acts and, for the first time, air
incursions from both sides.
The resumption of military measures,
for which Hezbollah took credit, asserting its claimed
prerogative to resist Israeli occupation of Lebanese
territory by force, was disturbing, the
Secretary-General said in the report. The United Nations
had made abundantly clear that no violations of the Blue
Line were acceptable. The continually asserted position
of the Government of Lebanon that the Blue Line was not
valid in the Shab'a farms area was not compatible with
Security Council resolutions. The Council has recognized
the Blue Line as valid for purposes of confirming Israel
's withdrawal pursuant to resolution 425 (1978). The
Government of Lebanon should heed the Council's repeated
calls for the parties to respect the Blue Line in its
entirety.
The Secretary-General stated further
that the air violations also remained a matter of
significant concern. As long as Israel carries on with
its policy of overflying Lebanon whenever it sees fit to
do so, it risked provoking retaliatory acts from the
Lebanese side. In addition, the periodic sonic booms
generated over population centres only generate
animosity in the local populace. While the lack of
instances of anti-aircraft fire across the line during
the reporting period must be noted and welcomed,
Hezbollah's launch of a drone into Israel was a
regrettable development, an activity sure to raise
tensions and to increase the prospects for military
confrontation. The Secretary-General wished to remind
all parties of the consistent position of the United
Nations that there should be no air violations, a
position that applied on both sides of the Blue Line.
The Secretary-General said that the
rocket-firing incidents perpetrated by individuals
allegedly affiliated with Palestinian militant factions
demonstrated the volatility of the sector. Importantly,
none of the incidents resulted in a military escalation,
and for this the parties and UNIFIL deserved credit.
Nevertheless, this type of incidents presented a great
risk to stability in the area. The Lebanese Government
continued to exercise the capacity it had demonstrated
thus far to exert its security authority through various
activities of the Joint Security Force, including prompt
responses to specific incidents. More needs to be done,
however, to meet the Security Council's call for
extended measures to ensure the return of effective
governmental authority throughout the south, including
through the deployment of additional Lebanese armed
forces. Once again, the Secretary-General urged the
Government to do its utmost to ensure calm and to exert
full control over the use of force across its entire
territory.
Concluding the report, the
Secretary-General said that the situation along the Blue
Line continued to be susceptible to volatile regional
developments, underscoring the need to achieve a
comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East
, based on all the relevant resolutions of the Security
Council. In the light of conditions prevailing in the
area, the Secretary-General recommended that the Council
extend the mandate of UNIFIL until 31 July 2005.
Gravely concerned at persistent
tension and violence along the Blue Line between Lebanon
and Israel, the Security Council, by its
resolution 1583 (2005) of 28 January, condemned all
acts of violence, including recent incidents across that
Line that resulted in the killing and wounding of United
Nations military observers, and extended, until 31 July
2005, the mandate of UNIFIL.
The Council supported UNIFIL's
continued efforts to maintain the ceasefire along the
withdrawal line, but expressed its intention to review
the Force's mandate and structures at the end of the
mandate period, for which it requested the
Secretary-General to make recommendations, taking into
account the situation on the ground, the activities
actually performed by the Force in its area of operation
and its contribution towards the remaining task of
restoring international peace and security.
Situation in the Area,
January—July 2005
The Secretary-General submitted his
further
report on 20 July 2005 covering developments since
January 2005 and also containing recommendations on
UNIFIL’s mandate and structures based on an assessment
mission by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations
(DPKO) to Lebanon from 8 to 10 May.
A fragile quiet prevailed in the
UNIFIL area of operation during most of the period under
review, although the situation was often marked by
tension, the report said. Violations of the Blue Line
continued, most often in the form of recurring air
violations by Israeli jets, helicopters and drones, as
well as ground violations from the Lebanese side,
primarily by Lebanese shepherds. Hostilities in the area
escalated in May with armed exchanges between Hezbollah
and the IDF with rocket firing by unidentified armed
elements. The situation deteriorated significantly on 29
June, when Hezbollah and the IDF engaged in a heavy
exchange of fire in the Shab’a farms area, resulting in
the death of one IDF soldier and the wounding of four
others and the death of two Hezbollah fighters.
The hostilities that occurred in May
and the grave incident on 29 June demonstrated, once
more, that the situation remained volatile, with the
potential for a deterioration of conditions, the
Secretary-General stated. Both Israel and Lebanon
regularly declare their desire to avoid confrontation
and destabilization of the area. Economic development of
the south was inextricably linked to peace and security,
the report continued. The Secretary-General called on
the Government, international donors, United Nations
agencies and non-governmental organizations to increase
their efforts towards the economic rehabilitation and
development of southern Lebanon.
The report went on to say that since
the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri
on 14 February, Lebanon had undergone a period of
increased political instability, manifested by
large-scale demonstrations in the capital, the
resignation of the Government, several bomb attacks in
various areas of Beirut, the assassinations of
journalist Samir Kassir and politician George Hawi, and
most recently, the attack on the envoy of Defence
Minister Elias Murr. The withdrawal of Syrian forces
from Lebanon by the end of April made possible the
holding of free and fair parliamentary elections over a
four-week period in May and June. Lebanese armed forces
now had to show that they could maintain effective
security throughout the country, at a time when the size
of the Lebanese Army was being reduced significantly.
Turning to the assessment carried out
by DPKO, the Secretary-General concurred with its view
that in the existing political and security situation in
southern Lebanon, a combination of armed infantry and
unarmed observers remained necessary for UNIFIL to carry
out its mandated tasks. The current level of forces was
required to maintain the critical positions in the areas
of operation that monitored the Blue Line and its
approaches and to provide appropriate protection for the
personnel and assets of both UNIFIL and the Observer
Group Lebanon. Without exception, Lebanese authorities
and diplomats confirmed that, in the currently
prevailing uncertain political and security conditions,
UNIFIL continued to play a crucial role in implementing
its mandate in accordance with Council resolution 425
(1978).
The Secretary-General concluded that
the situation in Lebanon and the wider region did not
support a change in the UNIFIL mandate or another
reconfiguration of the Force at this stage and
recommended that the Security Council extend its mandate
until 31 January 2006 with no changes to the Force’s
strength and composition.
By unanimously adopting
resolution 1614 (2005), the Council extended the
mandate of UNIFIL accordingly and called upon the
Government of Lebanon to fully extend its “sole and
effective” authority throughout the south, including
through the deployment of sufficient numbers of armed
and security forces and to exert “control and monopoly
over the use of force” on its entire territory. In that
connection, the Council welcomed the Secretary-General’s
intention to discuss with the Lebanese Government the
next steps in preparing for an expansion of its
authority in the south.
The Council took note of the
Secretary-General’s opinion that the situation did not
support a change in UNIFIL’s mandate or another
reconfiguration of the Force at the current stage.
However, the Council expressed its intention to keep the
mandate and structures of UNIFIL under regular review.
Situation in the Area, July
2005—January 2006
Further Secretary-General’s
report on UNIFIL was dated 18 January 2006, in which
he recommended to extend the Force’s mandate for a
further six months, until 31 July 2006.
Describing the political and security
environment as still fragile, the Secretary-General
pointed particularly to the November 2005 Hizbollah
attack, which had led to a heavy exchange of fire with
IDF. He also warned that the rocket firing incidents by
unidentified armed elements of August and December had
significant potential for military escalation.
Persistent Israeli air incursions into Lebanese airspace
also disrupted the fragile calm.
“The serious breaches of the ceasefire
underlined yet again the urgent need for the Government
of Lebanon to act and extend its full authority
throughout the south down to the Blue Line”, the
Secretary-General said. He was encouraged by Lebanon’s
commitment to hold perpetrators of the attacks
responsible to avoid their recurrence, and he welcomed
new steps for coordination between the Government and
UNIFIL, however, he stressed that “more needs to be
done”.
The Secretary-General welcomed the
Lebanese Government’s decision to co-locate the Army
Liaison Office with UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, to
appoint liaison officers with the UNIFIL field
battalions and to work closer with the Force in the
field. He was pleased to note the appointment of the new
Government Coordinator with UNIFIL. Planning for the
deployment of additional forces in the south should
start without delay, he said.
In that regard, he encouraged the
Lebanese Government to take up the Force Commander’s
proposal to establish a joint planning cell composed of
members of the Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL. The
activities and presence of the Joint Security Force
could also be enhanced on the ground, even within the
limits of its authorized strength of 1,000 troops.
Additionally, closer coordination between UNIFIL and the
Joint Security Force patrols in the south would
contribute to enhancing the role and activities of the
Lebanese Armed Forces in the area. The implications of
an increased presence of the Lebanese Armed Forces in
the south for UNIFIL structure and force strength would
be regularly assessed.
By its
resolution 1655 of 31 January 2006, the Security
Council extended the mandate of UNIFIL until 31 July
2006 and called again on the Government of Lebanon to
fully extend and exercise its sole and effective
authority throughout the south. By that resolution, the
Council condemned all acts of violence, including the
serious incidents across the Blue Line initiated from
the Lebanese side that had resulted in deaths and
injuries on both sides.
The Council expressed great concern
about the serious breaches and the sea, land and air
violations of the withdrawal line. It urged the parties
to put an end to those violations, to refrain from any
act of provocation that could further escalate the
tension and to abide scrupulously by their obligation to
respect the safety of UNIFIL and other United Nations
personnel, including by avoiding any course of action
which endangered United Nations staff.
Also by the resolution, the Council
welcomed the Government’s recent establishment of a
Lebanese Armed Forces liaison office at UNIFIL
headquarters, and acknowledged the firm intention of the
Lebanese Government to preserve security and, to that
end, to reinforce the presence of its Armed Forces in
the southern region and to coordinate their activities
with UNIFIL.
Nevertheless, the Council urged the
Government to do more to assert its authority in the
south, to exert control and monopoly over the use of
force and to maintain law and order on its entire
territory. It also urged the Government to prevent
attacks from Lebanon across the Blue Line, including
through deploying additional numbers of Lebanese Armed
Forces and Internal Security Forces and taking up
UNIFIL’s proposals to enhance coordination and to
establish a Joint Planning Cell.
The Council expressed its intention to
keep UNIFIL’s mandate and structures under regular
review, taking into account the prevailing situation on
the ground, the activities actually performed by the
Force in its area of operation, its contribution towards
the remaining task of restoring international peace and
security, the views of the Lebanese Government and the
measures it had taken to fully extend its authority in
the South, as well as the implications those measures
might have, in order to adjust the force to its mission.
New Crisis Erupts
New hostilities on the
Israeli-Lebanese border started on 12 July 2006 when
Hizbollah launched several rockets from Lebanese
territory across the Blue Line towards IDF positions
near the coast and in the area of the Israeli town of
Zarit. In parallel, Hizbollah fighters crossed the Blue
Line into Israel, attacked an Israeli patrol and
captured two Israeli soldiers, killed three others and
wounded two more. The captured soldiers were taken into
Lebanon.
Subsequent to the attack on the
patrol, a heavy exchange of fire ensued across the Blue
Line between Hizbollah and the IDF. While the exchange
of fire stretched over the entire length of the Line, it
was heaviest in the areas west of Bint Jubayl and in the
Shabaa farms area. Hizbollah targeted IDF positions and
Israeli towns south of the Blue Line. Israel retaliated
by ground, air and sea attacks. In addition to air
strikes on Hizbollah positions, the IDF targeted
numerous roads and bridges in southern Lebanon, within
and outside the UNIFIL area of operations
In his July
report on UNIFIL, covering the period from 21
January through 18 July 2006, the Secretary-General
noted that situation in the UNIFIL area of operation
remained tense and volatile, although it was generally
quiet during most of the reporting period. But, the
start of the new hostilities on 12 July had “radically
changed the context” in which the mission operated. “In
the current environment, circumstances conducive to
United Nations do not exist”, he said, adding that the
Force was restricted from carrying out even basic
activities, such as the ability to resupply its
positions and to conduct search and rescue operations on
behalf of its personnel. With UNIFIL’s mandate expiring
on 31 July, the Secretary-General recommended that the
Security Council extend it only for one month pending
consideration of other options for future arrangements
in South Lebanon.
The Council agreed with the
Secretary-General’s recommendation and, by its
resolution
1697 of 31 July, extended UNIFIL’s mandate until 31
August 2006. The Council also expressed the deepest
concern at the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon and
Israel since 12 July, urged all concerned parties to
avoid any action that might endanger UN personnel, and
called on them to allow the Force to resupply its
positions, conduct search and rescue operations on
behalf of its personnel and undertake any other measures
that it deemed necessary to ensure the safety of its
personnel.
Security Council Calls for End
of Hostilities; UNIFIL's Strength Increased, Mandate
Expanded
As conflict between Israel and
Hezbollah erupted in southern Lebanon, the
Secretary-General maintained regular contact with the
Prime Ministers of Lebanon and of Israel, as well as
other relevant actors and concerned parties. He also
dispatched a number of high-level missions to the
region.
In the mean time, UNIFIL continued to
occupy all of its positions and played an active and
constructive role under its mandate. Despite being
severely impeded by ongoing violence, UNIFIL
peacekeepers conducted military observations, assisted
in humanitarian efforts and provided medical assistance,
all at great risk. The intense fighting in July and
August injured 16 United Nations staff, and tragically
caused the death of five.
On 11 August 2006, the Security
Council, following intense negotiations, passed
resolution 1701 calling for a full cessation of
hostilities in the month-long war based upon, in
particular, “the immediate cessation by Hizbollah of all
attacks and the immediate cessation by Israel of all
offensive military operations” in Lebanon.
Aware of its responsibilities to help
secure a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution to
the conflict, the Security Council created a buffer zone
free of “any armed personnel, assets and weapons other
than those of the Government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL”
between the United Nations-drawn Blue Line in southern
Lebanon and the Litani river, and called for both Israel
and Lebanon to support a permanent ceasefire and
comprehensive solution to the crisis.
The adoption of this resolution capped
a week of intense debates on the French and United
States-negotiated text, which had been introduced on 5
August but met with stiff resistance from Arab leaders,
who said it disregarded key Lebanese concerns in favour
of Israel . It sparked an urgent visit to New York by
senior Arab League officials who pleaded Lebanon 's case
in a closed-door meeting with the UN Secretary-General
and presented to the Council an Arab-backed deal which,
included the Lebanese Government's demand for a broad
ceasefire and, among other things, called for a prisoner
exchange between Israel and Hizbollah.
In an address ahead of the Council's
action, the Secretary-General said he was greatly
relieved that the resolution provided for a full and
immediate cessation of all hostilities. “It is
absolutely vital that the fighting now stop”, he said,
adding: “Provided it does, I believe this resolution
will make it possible to conclude a sustainable and
lasting ceasefire agreement in the days ahead. And I
hope that this could be the beginning of a process to
solve the underlying political problems in the region
through peaceful means.”
The Secretary-General said he was
profoundly disappointed that the Council had not reached
this point much earlier, and that he was convinced that
his disappointment and sense of frustration were shared
by hundreds of millions of people around the world. For
weeks now, he had been calling repeatedly for an
immediate cessation of hostilities, for the sake of the
civilian population on both sides. “All members of this
Council must be aware that this inability to act sooner
has badly shaken the world's faith in its authority and
integrity”, the Secretary-General said, adding that “War
is not politics by other means”, but “represents a
catastrophic failure of political skill and
imagination.”
The new resolution emphasized the need
for an end of violence, but at the same time emphasized
the need to urgently address the causes that had given
rise to the crisis, including the unconditional release
of the abducted Israeli soldiers. “Mindful of the
sensitivity of the issue of prisoners”, the text also
encouraged the efforts aimed at urgently settling the
issue of the Lebanese prisoners detained in Israel .
It also called for Israel and Lebanon
to support a long-term solution based on, among others,
full respect for the Blue Line by both parties; full
implementation of the relevant provisions of the Taif
Accords; no foreign forces in Lebanon without the
consent of its Government; no sales or supply of arms
and related materiel to Lebanon except as authorized by
its Government; and provision to the United Nations of
all remaining maps of landmines in Lebanon in Israel's
possession.
Welcoming the 7 August decision of the
Lebanese Government to deploy 15,000 armed troops in
Southern Lebanon , the Council extended the mandate of
UNIFIL through the end of August 2007, and increased its
troop strength (about 2,000 troops as of August 2006) to
a maximum of 15,000. In addition to carrying out its
original mandate under Council resolutions 425 and 426
(1978), UNIFIL would, among other things, monitor the
cessation of hostilities; accompany and support the
Lebanese armed forces as they deploy throughout the
South; and extend its assistance to help ensure
humanitarian access to civilian populations and the
voluntary and safe return of displaced persons (see
Mandate section for more details).
The text emphasized the importance of
the Government of Lebanon extending its control over all
Lebanese territory in accordance with the provisions of
Council resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1680 (2006), and
called upon that Government to secure its borders and
other entry points to prevent the entry, without its
consent, of arms or related materiel. It further decided
that all States shall take the necessary measures to
prevent, “by their nationals or from their territories
or using their flag vessels or aircraft” the sale or
supply of arms and related materiel of all types, to any
entity or individual in Lebanon .
Cessation of hostilities holds
Given the importance of implementing
Security Council resolution 1701, the Secretary-General
visited the region himself. He attended the
extraordinary ministerial level meeting of the European
Union in Brussels on 25 August, and travelled to
Lebanon, Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
Jordan, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Islamic Republic
of Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Spain in
subsequent days, meeting Heads of State, Heads of
Government, Foreign Ministers and other senior
officials. In addition, the Secretary-Generals kept in
close contact by telephone with those senior officials
and the representatives of other concerned parties and
relevant actors throughout his mission.
Reporting to the Security Council, the
Secretary-General said that he discerned broad support
for the implementation of resolution 1701 and was
encouraged by the general commitment to restoring
security and stability across the Middle East. He noted
that his efforts appeared to have contributed to
securing the commitments of several troop-contributing
countries to help stabilize the situation as part of
UNIFIL, and to lifting the full aerial and sea blockade
Israel had imposed on Lebanon.
In the course of 30 days since the
adoption of resolution 1701, the Secretary-General
reported twice to the Council on its implementation—on
18 August and on
12 September. In the latter report, the
Secretary-General said that Israel and Hizbollah had
“largely complied” with the cessation of hostilities
agreement. He pointed out that while there had been
violations of the agreement, these had not been “of an
offensive and hostile character,” apart from one severe
incident when Israeli forces carried out a raid in
eastern Lebanon on 19 August.
The Secretary-General said that the
“tragic 34-day conflict has thrown the region back into
the instability that prevailed for decades”. Stressing
that security, stability and comprehensive peace
remained the overarching goals, he said “a start has
been made” while cautioning that “many other steps are
required.”
The report noted that since the
cessation of hostilities, the United Nations and other
agencies had assisted Lebanon’s Government with needs
assessments and other urgent tasks, while the
humanitarian response has moved through early recovery
efforts and short-term intervention to providing
assistance to the estimated one million Lebanese who
were displaced.
The Secretary-General also pointed to
“significant progress” regarding the gradual withdrawal
of the IDF and deployment of Lebanese troops, with
UNIFIL playing the coordinating role between the two
sides.
At the same time, he reiterated that
while “short-term measures” were being put in place to
ensure that the cessation of hostilities was converted
into a permanent ceasefire, a sustainable long-term
solution required regional issues to be taken into
account. “In order to prevent a resurgence of violence
and bloodshed, the underlying causes of conflict in the
region must be addressed. Other crises cannot be
ignored, especially in the occupied Palestinian
territory, as they are all interlinked. Until the
international community insists on a just, lasting and
comprehensive peace in the Middle East, any one of these
conflicts has the potential to erupt and engulf the
entire region”, the Secretary-General said.
Outcome of the war
According to the 12 September 2006
Secretary-General’s
report, as of 31 August 2006, official Lebanese
figures showed that 1,187 people had died and 4,092 had
been injured in Lebanon as a result of the conflict.
Many of these victims were children. The United Nations
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
estimated that one million Lebanese were displaced
between 12 July and 14 August, with some 735,000 seeking
shelter within Lebanon and 230,000 outside. The
cessation of hostilities on 14 August triggered a
massive and speedy return of internally displaced
persons and refugees back to their areas of origin.
According to UNHCR, within days of the ceasefire some 90
per cent of those displaced in Lebanon during the
hostilities — around 900,000 or one quarter of the
population —returned to their homes or were staying
nearby. At the end of August, it was estimated that
between 100,000 and 150,000 people remained internally
displaced.
In Lebanon, OCHA estimated that the
conflict caused physical damage amounting to $3.6
billion, including the destruction of 80 bridges, 600 km
of roads; 900 factories, markets, farms and other
commercial buildings; 31 airports, ports, water- and
sewage-treatment plants, dams and electrical plants; and
25 fuel stations. Unemployment is currently as high as
75 per cent in some parts of the country. An estimated
15,000 homes were destroyed.
On the Israeli side, from 12 July
until 14 August, 43 Israeli civilians and 117 IDF
soldiers were killed. In addition to large numbers of
people treated for shock and anxiety, 33 Israelis were
wounded seriously and 68 moderately. During that time,
3,970 rockets landed in Israel, 901 of them in urban
areas; 300,000 residents were displaced and more than a
million were forced to live for some of the time in
shelters, according to official Israeli figures.
Since the cessation of hostilities
went into effect, the nature of the humanitarian
response in Lebanon has seen a rapid transition to early
recovery activities and short-term intervention to
provide assistance to the large numbers of returnees.
The revised United Nations flash appeal, launched in
Stockholm on 31 August, put the emphasis on the
clearance of mines and unexploded ordinance, emergency
health and education needs, and water and sanitation,
with the vast part of project implementation to take
place in the coming six weeks.
Source -
United Nations |
