Netanyahu urges UN to remove peacekeeping contingent from Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to immediately withdraw peacekeepers from the war zone in southern Lebanon, emphasizing the need to ensure their safety, Caliber.Az reports.

Netanyahu said that “this must be done right now, immediately,” hinting at the growing tensions in the region.

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, consists of nearly 11,000 soldiers and civil servants from 48 countries. They were deployed to the region under a March 1978 UN Security Council resolution to maintain peace and stability and facilitate humanitarian operations.

Netanyahu said the current situation on the border requires a review of the peacekeepers' presence, as their safety could be jeopardized.

He expressed concern that peacekeepers could be drawn into conflicts between Israeli forces and armed groups operating in southern Lebanon. The call could be an important step in redefining the UN's role in the region, as well as changing the dynamics between Israel and Lebanon.

UNIFIL operates in a 410 square mile area defined by the Litani River in the north and the Blue Line — a temporarily negotiated border between Israel and Lebanon stretching 120-kilometers — in the south. Between those lines, UNIFIL has 50 positions, and a headquarters in the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura.

Seventeen per cent of UNIFIL’s activities are jointly carried out with the Lebanese Armed Forces, according to UNIFIL. The peacekeeping force and Lebanese army “routinely coordinate activities, including foot and vehicle patrols, by day and by night.”

By Khagan Isayev