UNIFIL: Escape Valve in the South

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) gets abused by both Israel and Hezbollah. According to its most recent mandate (UNSC Res. 1701), UNIFIL’s official mission is to monitor the Blue Line, assist the Lebanese Armed Forces, and generally maintain security. I would suggest that the force’s most important, if unofficial, role is to function as an escape valve for local tensions.

The UN forces in southern Lebanon operate along the Israel-Lebanon border, south of the Litani River. Originally placed there in 1978, UNIFIL’s mandate was updated and enhanced following the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Since that time, the force has been criticized by both sides. 

Hezbollah has suggested that UNIFIL is a pawn of Israel. Media outlets close to Hezbollah have also published criticisms of the UNIFIL force. An article in al-Safir, which is close to Hezbollah, commented, “UNIFIL troops are ignoring the negative impact that some of their actions have on people, in particular when they conduct themselves as if they are Israeli spies…Does UNIFIL protect the south or Israel?”

In addition, the international force has also been criticized for overstepping its bounds. After a 2009 incident in the southern village of Khirbet Selm, a Hezbollah supporter stated that UNIFIL faces two choices: “either to be neutral and help Lebanon, or to side with Israel and comply with its demands – in which case they will immediately become a hostile force…There is no third option.”

It is also not always words that are hurled at the UNIFIL force. Residents of towns in southern Lebanon have also attacked the peace keepers, including smashing windows on UN vehicles, slashing tires, and grabbing weapons from peace keepers.

The UNIFIL force also gets attacked from the Israeli side as well. Recently, UNIFIL troops were assaulted with stones thrown from across the Israeli border. In 2006, Ehud Olmert described UNIFIL as “very useless and very helpless.” Around the same time, former Israeli diplomat Itamar Rabinovich said, “UNIFIL, I’m afraid, is a joke…They’ve been there for 26 years and since then, there have been so many skirmishes.”

An Al Jazeera article from last year summed up the predicament that UNIFIL finds itself in:

Both Israel and Hezbollah…have stepped up their accusations against [UNIFIL]. Israel is again accusing the peacekeeping forces of failing to prevent, if not of collaborating with, Hezbollah in its replenishment of its military power in south Lebanon. Hezbollah, meanwhile, believes that “certain contingents” of [UNIFIL] are spying for, if not assisting, Israel.

The UNIFIL force is a punching bag for Hezbollah, Israel, and local residents. UNIFIL’s presence in the contentious south of Lebanon places it squarely in the cross-hairs of both Israel and Hezbollah, each with their own objectives. A case could be made that the international force does help keep at least a fragile peace. Both sides can blame the UN force for not doing its job properly or overstepping its authority, instead of blaming each other. UNIFIL helps defray the tension.

In many ways, the UNIFIL force does what a peacekeeping force should do; it positions itself in between two hostile forces and attempts to maintain security. Failing that, it provides a convenient target for each side to vent their frustrations towards, which helps avoid escalations in tensions.

Of course, the force has neither the mandate nor the power to truly prevent conflicts if either side decides to make a go of it. But its presence does decrease the frequency of violence.