Maritime Task Force UNIFIL

Duration

16 December 2006 - 1 March 2008

Military personnel

718

Fatalities

none

Decorations

none

In addition, there was considerable opposition to the rigid religious division between groups in Lebanese society and the political system. The Maronites were concerned about Palestinian groups, some of which were armed, that were gradually becoming a ‘state within a state’. Under pressure from the Arab League, the civil war in Lebanon came to a temporary halt in October 1976.

An Arab deterrent force was created and tasked with restricting the freedom of movement of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) and ensuring that the organisation observed Lebanese laws. However, Israel threatened to intervene if Syrian troops crossed an imaginary line running from east to west at the latitude of the port city of Sidon. The power vacuum made it possible for the PLO to carry out attacks on Israeli territory from its bases in South Lebanon.

Israel occupies Lebanese territory

Israel responded by occupying Lebanese territory up to the Litani River during the night of 14 to 15 March 1979. The Lebanese government filed a protest with the UN Security Council, which then adopted a resolution requiring Israel to withdraw from Lebanon. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was created to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, restore international peace and security in the border area and assist the Lebanese government in restoring its effective authority in South Lebanon.

Security Council adjusts mandate

Following the Israeli invasion of June 1982, the UN Security Council adjusted UNIFIL’s mandate to the changed circumstances by means of Resolution 511. UNIFIL troops were to continue manning their positions unless their own safety was seriously compromised. In addition, they were to focus on protecting the population and on the provision of humanitarian assistance to the tens of thousands of Lebanese and Palestinian refugees who had fled to the relatively safe UNIFIL area after the Israeli attack.

Israeli troops again invaded Lebanon in July 2006. Their aim was to permanently eliminate the threat posed by Hezbollah, a Shia militant group based in Lebanon and backed by Iran, to the state of Israel. Following the latest outbreak of war on Lebanese territory, the UN Security Council granted UNIFIL a broader mandate in August 2006.

Force enhanced by maritime component

UNIFIL’s use of force was now no longer limited to self-defence and the protection of its mandate. The force, which was substantially enlarged, was given a free hand to assist South Lebanon against hostile acts. A maritime component was also added to the force. This component became operational on 15 October 2006 and was tasked with preventing the illegal import of weapons by sea.