The UNIFIL peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have long been a thorn in Israel’s side, both because they tend to find Israeli surveillance devices left in the area and because of international criticism on the numerous times Israeli troops start firing at the peacekeepers for no apparent reason. It’s a PR nightmare for the IDF.
The peacekeeping mission comes up for review in the UN this month, and Israel has been pushing the US to use its veto power to end the mission. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is formally asking the US to do so now, saying the peacekeepers are “ineffective.”
It’s arguable that they aren’t very effective at keeping the peace, since Israel has been attacking southern Lebanon more or less constantly despite their presence. The Israeli desire to get rid of them, however, is less about replacing them with a more effective force than freeing the IDF up to attack even more indiscriminately than they already do.
A view shows a damaged site in the aftermath of Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, Lebanon October 8, 2024. REUTERS/Ahmad Al-Kerdi
The US, for its part, seems open to canceling it outright, but may also be looking to use the UNIFIL force renewal to “extort” concessions out of the Lebanese government in return for renewing them, albeit with a smaller budget and fewer personnel.
Exactly how much of a concession they could get out of Lebanon isn’t immediately apparent, as making an already ineffective force smaller and even more ineffective probably isn’t worth Lebanon offering a lot for.
The US State Department has declined all comment on the matter, saying they never comment on the renewal of the UNIFIL, which has been in Lebanon since 1978, and was present for a large number of Israeli invasions of the area.
The UN similarly declined comment, saying it was “never useful” to discuss ongoing UN Security Council negotiation. Russia, for its part, did say they strongly support renewing the mission, though since the US has veto power likely universal support on the council for it may not matter.
