NEW YORK, June 2 (ANI) — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council that an international peacekeeping presence in Lebanon will remain necessary after the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires at the end of the year.
Emphasizing the importance of international monitoring in maintaining regional stability, Guterres said a continued deployment would be essential to help prevent further escalation along the Israel-Lebanon border.
“Under all proposed options, a uniformed United Nations presence working to facilitate de-escalation, dialogue, liaison and coordination, and support for the Lebanese Armed Forces would be necessary … toward the overarching objective of a long-term solution to the conflict,” Guterres said.
To support that objective, the secretary-general proposed three potential force structures ranging from nearly 2,000 personnel to more than 5,500.
According to Al Jazeera, UNIFIL currently consists of approximately 7,500 peacekeepers from nearly 50 countries.
The peacekeeping force is deployed in southern Lebanon along the Blue Line, the roughly 75-mile (120-kilometer) demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel.
A letter sent to the Security Council and obtained by The Jerusalem Post indicates that the United Nations is considering the establishment of a new international military mission in southern Lebanon to oversee the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
Under the proposed framework, the force would include hundreds or potentially thousands of troops tasked with monitoring and helping maintain the ceasefire between the two sides.
The proposal would effectively create a new mission structure following the Security Council’s decision last year to terminate UNIFIL’s mandate.
The most comprehensive option outlined by Guterres would include approximately 350 military observers, four infantry battalions of 750 troops each, and a reserve force of 700 personnel.
Under that model, the force would monitor most of the Blue Line, conduct patrols extending to the Litani River, investigate violations, coordinate with both the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and position itself between opposing parties when necessary to help prevent escalation.
The mission would also support ceasefire monitoring efforts and strengthen Lebanese state authority in southern Lebanon.
A second, more limited option would include 285 military observers, two battalions of 750 troops each, and a reserve force of 450 personnel.
This structure would retain some monitoring capabilities along the Blue Line and continue investigations into violations of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. However, its ability to separate opposing forces, de-escalate incidents, and support Lebanese military operations would be reduced.
The smallest option under consideration would consist of 215 unarmed military observers, protected by two battalions of 450 troops each and a 350-member quick reaction force.
Under this arrangement, the United Nations would primarily focus on observation and reporting. The force would be able to monitor only portions of the Blue Line, investigate selected violations, and facilitate communication between the parties.
However, it would have limited capacity to physically separate opposing forces, de-escalate crises, or conduct engineering, demining, and enforcement operations.
The United Nations noted that all three options would require substantial support capabilities, including medical evacuation helicopters, engineering and demining units, surveillance systems, drones, radar technology, and satellite imagery.
According to the proposal, continuous monitoring of the entire Blue Line would not be possible without these technological resources.
Notably, none of the options presented in the report calls for a complete end to the U.N.’s military presence in southern Lebanon. Instead, each proposal outlines a different framework for maintaining an international force in the area after UNIFIL’s mandate expires. (ANI)
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