The spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General confirmed on Monday that the UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have been unable to conduct patrols due to the intensity of Israeli strikes and Hezbollah rockets targeting Israel. Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres, told reporters that “UNIFIL forces remain at their posts in the mission’s area of responsibility, while the intensity of the fighting prevents their movement and ability to perform their assigned tasks.”
Dujarric added, “Due to the intensity of the rocket exchanges… they are unable to patrol.” In response to a question about the potential evacuation of UNIFIL forces if the situation worsens, Dujarric refused to “speculate” but mentioned that there is an “emergency plan” if necessary.
He continued, “We are monitoring the situation hour by hour,” noting that some UNIFIL civilian staff have been evacuated to the north. The UNIFIL forces, consisting of over 10,000 soldiers, have been stationed in southern Lebanon since 1978 to secure the border area between Lebanon and Israel. Their role was enhanced following the 34-day war between Hezbollah and Israel in the summer of 2006.
The UN forces are responsible for monitoring the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, which stipulates the deployment of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL forces only in southern Lebanon. Therefore, they are required to patrol along the Blue Line, the boundary delineated by the United Nations between Lebanon and Israel.
