Unifil

Tensions Rise Between Macron and Netanyahu

The already heated exchange between French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intensified on Tuesday, centering on the role of the UN in the establishment of the State of Israel. Netanyahu should not forget his country was created as a result of a resolution adopted by the United Nations, French President ...

France Reaffirms Support for UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon

On Monday, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu affirmed his country’s continued support for UN peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), saying they are "meant to stay." This announcement comes two days before a meeting of European nations contributing to the mission. "The day the weapons fall silent, there ...

Spanish PM Says 'No Withdrawal' of UN Force from Lebanon

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday said there would be "no withdrawal" of the UN peacekeeping force(UNIFIL)  from southern Lebanon following Israeli attacks and calls to leave. Israel's offensive against the Hezbollah militia has thrust the UNIFIL force deployed in Lebanon since 1978 into the spotlight. The force, which involves ...

EU Denounces Israel's Attacks on UN Peacekeepers

The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell Monday denounced as "completely unacceptable" a series of Israeli attacks that have injured United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. "The 27 (EU) members agreed on asking (the) Israelis to stop attacking UNIFIL," Borrell told reporters ahead of a meeting of the bloc's foreign ...

Israeli Forces Breach UNIFIL Post in Fifth Incident Against Peacekeepers in Days

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the violation of one of its posts and the restriction of its movements by the Israeli army on Sunday.  "Breaching and entering a UN site constitutes a flagrant violation of Resolution 1701 (2006)," the statement read, adding that such actions put ...

Netanyahu Urges UNIFIL Forces to Move Out of Harm's Way

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on the UN chief to move peacekeepers deployed in southern Lebanon out of "harm's way." Netanyahu's appeal to UN chief Antonio Guterres comes a day after the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, refused to withdraw from the border area despite five of its members being ...

Israeli Strikes: Rescue Workers Targeted, Ground Operations Increased, Hezbollah Combatant Imprisoned

The Israeli army radio reported on Sunday that "the army has once again expanded its ground operations in southern Lebanon, carrying out large-scale aerial bombings and opening heavy artillery fire." It also announced that a new military division entered Lebanese territory on Saturday night to extend the ground operation in South Lebanon. South ...

UNIFIL Warns Against Regional Catastrophe

UN peacekeepers in Lebanon warned on Saturday against a “catastrophic” regional conflict as Israeli forces battled Hezbollah and Hamas militants on two fronts, on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Israel has faced a fierce diplomatic backlash over the injuries suffered by five Blue Helmets serving in south Lebanon. Lebanon's Health ...

Yom Kippur Starts Tensely as Israel Clashes With Hezbollah

Israel observed Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, on Saturday amid a firestorm of international criticism over its military offensive in Lebanon and its soldiers firing on peacekeepers. As the holy day got under way Friday from sundown, Israel faced diplomatic backlash over what it acknowledged was a "hit" earlier in the day on ...

UNIFIL: A Victim of War and Peace

Prior to initiating what they termed limited ground operations along the Lebanese border, the Israeli Army communicated with UNIFIL forces stationed along the Blue Line, requesting the evacuation of specific positions. However, the international force declined this request. Recently, the Israeli Army announced that Hezbollah was operating near ...

Austin Urges Gallant to Ensure the Safety of UNIFIL Forces in Lebanon

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a phone conversation with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, during which he emphasized the need to ensure the safety of UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon, as well as a swift return to a diplomatic solution. “I called Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last night to discuss Israel’s operations in ...

PM Mikati: Hezbollah Agrees to Implement Resolution 1701; Diplomatic Solution on the Table

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced on Friday, following the Cabinet session at the Grand Serail, that "the Cabinet has decided, at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to submit a request to the Security Council for an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of Resolution 1701." He affirmed, "A diplomatic solution is on ...