The U.N. Security Council on Monday reached a rare consensus on the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, issuing a press statement regarding the situation in Lebanon.
The 15-member body “expressed their strong concerns after several UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon] positions came under fire in the past days,” referring to members of the U.N. peacekeeping mission inside Lebanese territory along the border with Israel.
UNIFIL has refused Israeli requests to relocate its forces while Israel combats Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon.
As a result, several UNIFIL troops have been injured during military operations undertaken by the Israel Defense Forces.
The Security Council on Monday “urged all parties to respect the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and premises” and “reiterated their support to UNIFIL, underscoring its role in supporting regional stability.”
Despite Israel’s documented efforts to alert UNIFIL to Hezbollah’s growing weapons depots and other infrastructure in the peacekeepers’ area of operation, UNIFIL did little to stop it. The IDF has recently uncovered a number of Hezbollah posts, tunnels and rocket launch sites within steps of UNIFIL towers and bases in Southern Lebanon.
The press statement, which came after the council met on the issue behind closed doors at the request of France, “emphasized the need for diplomatic endeavors that would bring a durable end to the conflict and allow civilians on both sides of the Blue Line to return safely to their homes.”
At a Monday press briefing, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, deemed UNIFIL’s denials of the IDF’s requests to move to safety as “not a source of shame for the United Nations. It is a source of pride.”
Asked later by JNS where that pride has been for years as UNIFIL allowed Hezbollah to build up its capabilities in front of UNIFIL’s eyes, Dujarric referred to the December 2022 murder of Irish UNIFIL peacekeeper Sean Rooney. That ambush occurred outside of UNIFIL’s area of operation when Rooney’s convoy took a detour. Five men with Hezbollah links were charged in the case.
“We continue to be proud of what UNIFIL has done,” said Dujarric. “We are continuing also to be focused on force protection. Just decisions are made on their presence and their posture on an hourly basis. The situation currently is what it is, but those reviews are being made all the time.”