Lebanon
Current Operations
UNIFIL
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UN-led)
Since: 03/78
More Information
Ban says Lebanon has yet to fulfill international obligations (02.03.2011)
(Source:The Daily Star Lebanon)
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on political leaders in Beirut to prevent supporters from carrying weapons, as he lamented that political deadlock in Lebanon had barred the country from fulfilling international obligations.
Israeli official: Ghajar pullout on hold due to Lebanon turmoil (08.02.2011)
(Source:The Daily Star)
The political turmoil in Lebanon has delayed Israeli plans to pull out of the northern part of a village straddling the countries’ border, an Israeli official said Monday. Israeli Cabinet ministers agreed in November to withdraw troops from northern Ghajar and to relinquish control to U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon. At the time Israel said the pullout would be worked out within a month.
Next premier of Lebanon tries to set his own course (26.01.2011)
(Source:New York Times)
Najib Mikati, a billionaire backed by Hezbollah to become prime minister of Lebanon, promised on Wednesday to forge good relations with the United States and declared that he would not interfere with an international tribunal expected to accuse members of Hezbollah of involvement in the assassination of a former prime minister.
'Window of hope' opens in Lebanon crisis (20.01.2011)
(Source:The Daily Star Lebanon)
Prince Saud says Saudi Arabia quit mediation before Qatari-Turkish effort gained steam.
Hariri tribunal: UN prosecutor issues sealed indictment (17.01.2011)
(Source:BBC)
International prosecutors have issued an indictment for the 2005 murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon has not yet released names of suspects, and a pre-trial judge will now decide whether to issue warrants.
Resignations deepen crisis for Lebanon (12.01.2011)
(Source:New York Times)
Hezbollah and its political allies withdrew from Lebanon’s cabinet on Wednesday, toppling a national unity government that had brought a measure of calm to the troubled Middle Eastern country since 2009 and deepening an emerging crisis over a United Nations-backed tribunal investigating the assassination of a former prime minister.
UN envoy calls again for dialogue to resolve tensions in Lebanon (07.12.2010)
(Source:UN News)
The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon today reiterated his concern over the crisis that has put on hold the work of key national institutions, and called once again for dialogue to resolve existing tensions. … The situation in Lebanon has been marked by rising tensions in recent months and described by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as a “domestic climate of uncertainty and fragility” in a report issued in October.
Senior UN official warns of ‘hyper-dangerous’ situation in Lebanon (28.11.2010)
(Source:UN News)
A senior United Nations official warned today that the presence of heavily-armed militias and a recent escalation of rhetoric and confrontation have created an extremely dangerous situation in Lebanon, calling on all parties to do their utmost to reduce tensions.
U.N. peacekeeper walk fine line in Lebanon’s South (24.11.2010)
(Source:New York Times)
… In a long campaign aimed at the hearts and minds of the residents in its area of operation, Unifil has established itself as a major part of the area’s economy. At the same time, it has also engaged in projects to build infrastructure and activities to build bonds between civilians and a U.N. force of 12,000 soldiers. All this has prompted Neeraj Singh, a spokesman for the mission, to describe the force as “part of the social fabric” of southern Lebanon.
Israel approves pullout from Lebanon border village (17.11.2010)
(Source:BBC)
Israel's cabinet has approved the withdrawal of its troops from the northern half of a village deemed by the UN to be inside Lebanon. Ghajar is split in two by the UN blue line, the de-facto border which separates the two countries.
Ban urges greater focus by Israel and Lebanon on reaching permanent peace – new report (09.11.2010)
(Source:UN News)
…In his latest report to the Security Council on the implementation of resolution 1701, made public today, Mr. Ban states that recent months have been marked by an increase in political tensions in Lebanon, … .
Israel to pull out from Lebanon border village (07.11.2010)
(Source:Reliefweb)
Israel is planning to withdraw its troops from part of a disputed village on the Lebanese border and hand over control to a UN peacekeeping force, an official said on Sunday.
Resistance slams Ban's report on implementation of Resolution 1701 (04.11.2010)
(Source:The Daily Star Lebanon)
Hizbullah lashed out Wednesday at a new report by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, accusing him of “taking the side of the executioner against the victim” and adopting a “completely bias[ed]” assessment. Ban issued the preliminary version of the 14th Report of the Secretary General on the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 late Monday, … .
Ban calls intimidation of UN-backed Lebanon tribunal ‘unacceptable’ (29.10.2010)
(Source:UN News)
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned this week’s attack against three staff members of the United Nations-backed tribunal set up to try suspects in the 2005 murders of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others, calling such acts of interference and intimidation “unacceptable.”
UN envoy welcomes cabinet’s efforts to ease tensions after recent clashes (22.09.2010)
(Source:UN News)
The United Nations envoy for Lebanon today welcomed a move by the country’s Cabinet to try to end the heated rhetoric of recent weeks and rely upon dialogue to ease tensions that escalated after armed clashes last month between Shi’a and Sunni Muslim groups.
Malaysia considers increasing UNIFIL troop numbers (15.09.2010)
(Source:The Daily Star)
The Malaysian government will soon decide on expanding its troop commitment to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), news reports said on Monday. … Malaysia is one of the biggest contributors to UNIFIL and currently has over 700 soldiers on the ground.
Hariri withdraws accusation against Syria (07.09.2010)
(Source:BBC)
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has said he was wrong to accuse Syria of assassinating his father - former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri.
Hezbollah chief rejects demand from U.N. prosecutor (03.09.2010)
(Source:New York Times)
Hezbollah’s leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, said that he did not recognize the legitimacy of the United Nations tribunal investigating the 2005 killing of Mr. Hariri and that he would cooperate with the Lebanese judiciary instead.
Security Council extends mandate of UN force in Lebanon (30.08.2010)
(Source:UN News)
In a unanimous resolution, the Council said it had determined that “the situation in Lebanon continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security” and had therefore decided to extend UNIFIL’s mandate until 31 August 2011.
UN backs call for dialogue in wake of Lebanese clashes (28.08.2010)
(Source:UN News)
The top United Nations envoy to Lebanon today backed the call made by the country’s leaders for dialogue to avoid further tensions following armed clashes earlier this week between Shi’a and Sunni Muslim groups in the capital, Beirut.
Security Council unanimously backs UNIFIL mandate extension (26.08.2010)
(Source:The Daily Star)
The Security Council has expressed unanimous support for the upcoming extension of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission, media reports said on Wednesday.
Political, social divides threaten Liberian strides in shoring up peace, says Ban (20.08.2010)
(Source:UN News)
Although Liberia continues to make considerable progress in consolidating peace and security, enduring political and social divides, among other factors, could roll back the strides made so far, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon cautions in a new report.
Israel and Lebanon willing to speed up process of visibly marking Blue Line – UN (18.08.2010)
(Source:UN News)
Lebanon and Israel have voiced interest in accelerating the process of marking the so-called Blue Line separating the two countries, the military head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the region reported today.
Army, UNIFIL must work ‘closely’ to maintain Blue Line calm (12.08.2010)
(Source:The Daily Star Lebanon)
The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon said Wednesday that calm had returned to the Blue Line following last week’s deadly gun battle, but refrained from commenting on the UN court which some say risks inflicting fresh civil strife on the country.
UN steps in to defuse tensions on Israeli-Lebanese border (04.08.2010)
(Source:UN News)
The United Nations has brought representatives of Israel and Lebanon together, a day after a deadly skirmish along the so-called Blue Line separating the two countries, to prevent similar violence erupting in the future.
U.N. supports Israeli account of border clash (04.08.2010)
(Source:New York Times)
The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, Unifil, said Wednesday that it had concluded that Israeli forces were cutting trees that lay within their own territory before a lethal exchange of fire with Lebanese Army troops, largely vindicating Israel’s account of how the fighting started.
New UN report cites lack of progress by Israel and Lebanon on key obligations (13.07.2010)
(Source:UN News)
While Israel and Lebanon have enjoyed the longest period of stability in their recent history, not enough progress has been made on key obligations under the Security Council resolution that ended the hostilities of 2006, according to a new United Nations report released today.
UN force under pressure four years after Lebanon war (11.07.2010)
(Source:Reliefweb)
Four years after a devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah, the UN forces keeping them apart in southern Lebanon are under mounting strain amid fears of a fresh conflict and hostility from villagers. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, is in a delicate position "between two armed parties preparing for a possible new conflict," Paul Salem, who heads the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Centre, told AFP.
Security Council calls for freedom of movement of UN peacekeepers (09.07.2010)
(Source:UN News)
Strongly deploring recent incidents directed at United Nations blue helmets in Lebanon, the Security Council today called for ensuring the safety and freedom of movement of the peacekeepers serving there. Members of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have recently been the target of protests and attacks by villagers in the south of the country in response to routine military exercises carried out by the mission.
UNIFIL chairs tripartite talks with Lebanese, Israeli army chiefs (08.07.2010)
(Source:The Daily Star)
UN peacekeepers met Wednesday with Lebanese and Israeli Army chiefs, as France’s foreign minister called for a special meeting over the force’s role in Lebanon. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bernard Valero said that Bernard Kouchner had asked for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be allowed to operate freely following a pair of attacks on the force by southern residents.