Last Thursday, the reinforced International Emergency Force (UNIFIL), operating in southern Lebanon on the border with occupied Palestine, was renewed for a new year after the end of its term of office on August 31, amid controversy and tug-of-war between Lebanon on the one hand and members of the UN Security Council on the one hand. On the other hand, against the backdrop of an attempt to introduce certain modifications to its function.
The Security Council was able to renew UNIFIL after failing in several attempts due to Lebanon’s rejection of the formula presented by France to the Council, which confirmed what was in effect from last year, in a Lebanese attempt to introduce an amendment to the current text that allows UNIFIL to move in its areas of operation in southern Lebanon. Absolutely and without notifying the Lebanese side or coordinating with it, and in an open or even secret manner.
Lebanon also demanded the necessity of prior coordination with the Lebanese army deployed in the region before any UNIFIL move, leading to the formula that was agreed upon, which is for UNIFIL to coordinate with the Lebanese government, and not with the Lebanese army. In other words, it is political coordination with the government, not on the ground with the army. On the ground.
The International Emergency Force (UNIFIL) began its duties in southern Lebanon in the year 1978 in implementation of Security Council Resolution 425, which stipulated the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from southern Lebanon and the deployment of international peacekeeping forces in that region.
Then these forces turned into reinforced forces in southern Lebanon after the Israeli aggression against Lebanon in the year 2006, when the number of its members increased, and the scope of its deployment and work expanded to include most of the border area that lies south of the Litani River, and its work focused on maintaining security and peace in the region and ensuring that members of the army did not return. Hezbollah entered this area according to the cease-fire agreement that was concluded at the time, and according to this agreement and international resolution 1701, this area became demilitarized, except for the weapons of the Lebanese army, which deployed for the first time since the civil war in 1975 in this region.
UNIFIL can move in the south without coordinating with the army as of 2022, but UNIFIL has not exercised this “right” except in limited times in order to preserve good relations with the people in the south.
The agreement also included UNIFIL coordinating its movements in this area with the Lebanese army, and not dealing directly with civilians by arrest or detention or anything like that. Over the past years, the region witnessed many confrontations and frictions between UNIFIL soldiers on the one hand, and young men affiliated with Hezbollah under The address of the parents on the other hand.
The most notable and most dangerous of all was the incident that took place last year near the town of “Al-Aqibiya” in southern Lebanon, when a UNIFIL patrol came under direct fire on December 14 of last year, which at the time led to the death of an Irish soldier and the wounding of other colleagues. The investigation revealed that The shooters are very close to Hezbollah.
However, an amendment occurred on August 31 of the year 2022 in the function and mission of UNIFIL, when the UN Security Council introduced an amendment by adding a paragraph to Article 16, according to which it granted UNIFIL forces freedom of movement without coordination with the Lebanese army, which was stated in International Resolution 2650, and UNIFIL could move in The south without coordinating with the army or informing it of its movements as of September 1, 2022. However, despite that, UNIFIL did not exercise this “right” except in very limited times in order to preserve good relations with the people in the south, and so as not to enter into permanent friction with the party. God.
This year, with the approaching date of renewal for UNIFIL, Lebanon made extensive efforts in an attempt to amend the amendment and turn back the clock with regard to UNIFIL movement, to restrict the freedom of this movement, as was the case in the years extending from 2006 to 2022.
Renewal in this vague formula and method could open the door to many confrontations and frictions in the south, mainly between Hezbollah and UNIFIL.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah Bouhabib, sought to amend the current formula that permits action without direct coordination with the army. He came to New York and was directly involved in the renewal talks and negotiations. However, Bouhabib’s attempts failed to restore things to what they were before the year 2022, and the most that was done. Reaching it in the process of renewing UNIFIL means accepting the issue of its coordination with the Lebanese government, and not with the Lebanese army on the ground.
In other words, it is political coordination that does not enter into the details of the daily field movement of UNIFIL, which Hezbollah pressured from more than one side to amend and not reach it, and the Secretary-General of the party, Hassan Nasrallah, warned in a televised speech to him on August 27, that is, before discussing The Security Council renewed within hours, that granting UNIFIL freedom of movement would mean more friction with the people in the south, and said: “They want UNIFIL forces to work for the Israelis and spies for them, and where the spy camera cannot reach what is required is for UNIFIL cameras to do so.” . Nasrallah added, “The people in the south will not allow a decision to be implemented despite the Lebanese government’s rejection.”
This renewal in this vague form and manner could open the door to many confrontations and frictions in the south between Hezbollah’s environment mainly and UNIFIL, especially if these forces resorted to exercising this “right” without regard to any prior coordination with the Lebanese army in the field. But if, as in the past year, it was careful not to use it except within very narrow limits, then it ensures that there is no tension with that environment.
However, in return for this also, Hezbollah, which openly and clearly redeployed its elements in the area south of the Litani, as in the case of the two tents that it set up in the outskirts of the town of Shebaa adjacent to the occupied Shebaa Farms, will feel that its movement is restricted in light of the presence of UNIFIL and its intense movement in the region and its refuge in any It is time for direct, unannounced or coordinated action in the field with any party, which in turn raises more than one question mark about the form of the future relationship between UNIFIL on the one hand and the environment of Hezbollah’s residents on the other hand. Or between UNIFIL and Hezbollah directly.
The issue of renewing UNIFIL in this formula (coordination with the government, not the army) did not go unnoticed, as its repercussions affected the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially the Lebanese Ambassador to the United Nations, Ambassador Amal Mudallali, who was accused by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah Bouhabib, of not carrying out her duty in a professional and complete manner. and insufficient pressure to return to the first version of the resolution, which provides for coordination between UNIFIL and the army; Mudallally, however, broke her silence and rejected the foreign minister’s accusations, accusing him of negligence and failure to fulfill the obligations of the foreign ministry.
In press interviews, she indicated that she had written to the Foreign Ministry and the Minister in particular regarding the required directions for the issue of renewing UNIFIL in the year 2022 and the current year 2023, without obtaining any guidance except in the few hours preceding the discussions, and therefore refused to bear any responsibility for this situation.
Mudalli also rejected the accusations of activists on social media who accused her of working in favor of American demands, especially in terms of placing Hezbollah on the United Nations terrorist lists.
It is a renewal of the work of the international emergency forces (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, which came this time on Zaghal, and left some scars in more than one place, which could be a material for detonating the already inflamed conditions at both sides of the border, as much as it could be a material for pressure on the parties concerned to accept Land demarcation after the maritime demarcation was agreed upon last year.
2023-09-02 14:23:55
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