Ahead of the UN Security Council discussion on extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) taking place later this month, Israel and the United States have informed Council members that they oppose an automatic renewal of the mandate and are demanding a reassessment of the force’s necessity.
A diplomat familiar with the talks told The Jerusalem Post that this comes “in light of its prolonged failure to prevent Hezbollah’s infiltration into southern Lebanon, and to enforce the Lebanese government’s sovereignty in the area.”
Since being tasked with preventing Hezbollah’s rearmament during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, UNIFIL has done nothing to confront the organization over its weapons.
Israel believes that at this stage there is no longer a need for an international intermediary force on the ground, and that UN resources would be better invested in supporting the LAF.
We couldn’t agree more.