United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)

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Updated December 27, 2022
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
Blue Line, as well as violations by Israel, such as regular
has been deployed in the Lebanon-Israel-Syria triborder
incursions into Lebanese airspace.
area since 1978. The mission was deployed following the
1978 Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon targeting the
Figure 1. UNIFIL Area of Operations
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which used
Lebanon as a base to wage a guerilla war against Israel.
Israel maintained a self-declared security zone in southern
Lebanon until 2000, and the formal boundaries in the
triborder area remain disputed. The United States has
supported UNIFIL with the aim of bolstering the authority
of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in UNIFIL’s
operating area (see Figure 1) in southern Lebanon, a region
historically dominated by Hezbollah.
Evolution of UNIFIL Mandate
UNIFIL’s initial mandate was to confirm the withdrawal of
Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, restore peace and
security, and assist the Lebanese government in restoring its
authority in southern Lebanon (a traditionally Shi’a area
that became a Hezbollah stronghold in the 1980s). Israel
withdrew its forces from southern Lebanon in 2000. The
United Nations subsequently identified a 120 km interim
boundary line between Lebanon and Israel to use as a
reference for confirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The Line of Withdrawal, commonly known as the Blue
Line, is not an international border demarcation between

the two states. It incorporates elements of the 1949
Notes: Created by CRS. Boundaries from ESRI and U.S. State
Armistice Line and French Mandate-era administrative
Department. UNDOF = UN Disengagement Observer Force.
boundaries between Syria and Lebanon.

Size and Structure
After Israel and Hezbollah fought a 34-day war in 2006,
UNIFIL is headquartered in the Lebanese town of Naqoura,
U.N. Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701 (2006)
14 miles south of Tyre. Its leadership rotates among troop-
increased UNIFIL’s troop ceiling and expanded its mandate
contributing states; since February 2022 UNIFIL has been
to include monitoring the cessation of hostilities between
led by General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz (Spain). As of August
the two sides, accompanying and supporting the LAF as
2022, UNIFIL deploys approximately 9,900 troops from 48
they deployed throughout southern Lebanon. UNSCR 1701
countries in a 1060 square km zone roughly a third the size
authorized UNIFIL to assist the Lebanese government in
of Rhode Island. The largest troop contributing countries
the establishment of “an area free of any armed personnel,
are Indonesia, Italy, India, Ghana, and Nepal. (U.S. forces
assets and weapons other than those of the Government of
do not participate in UNIFIL). UNIFIL’s mandate falls
Lebanon and of UNIFIL” between the Blue Line and the
under Chapter VI of the U.N. Charter, which allows for the
Litani River, which UNIFIL defines as its area of
use of force primarily in self-defense, rather than Chapter
operations. UNSCR 1701 also calls upon the government of
VII, which would enable enforcement by military means.
Lebanon to secure its borders and asks UNIFIL “to assist
Since 1978, UNIFIL has reported 325 fatalities. Three-
the Government of Lebanon at its request.”
quarters of these occurred prior to 2000.
Maritime Task Force. UNIFIL’s Maritime Task Force
Implementation of UNSCR 1701
(MTF) operates along the entire length of the Lebanese
According to UNIFIL, “Any unauthorized crossing of the
coastline and assists the Lebanese Navy in preventing the
Blue Line by land or by air from any side constitutes a
entry of unauthorized arms or other materials to Lebanon.
violation of Security Council resolution 1701.” UNIFIL
Led by Germany, the force comprises five vessels (one each
monitors violations of UNSCR 1701, and the U.N.
from Bangladesh, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, and
Secretary-General reports regularly to the U.N. Security
Turkey.) In December 2022, Germany initiated the
Council on the implementation of UNSCR 1701. These
provisional handover of the Maritime Interdiction
reports have listed violations by Hezbollah, such as the
Operations Command from UNIFIL to the Lebanese Navy.
construction of underground tunnels that cross beneath the
UNIFIL stated that this would “eventually enable the
Lebanese Navy, for the first time in 16 years, to take
https://crsreports.congress.gov

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
control of maritime monitoring and interdiction operations
The Biden Administration’s FY2023 budget request states
… Moving forward, an assessment period will evaluate and
that UNIFIL’s “most effective functions, including its
determine when … the LAF Navy will be ready to take
liaison mechanism and patrols along the Blue Line, will
over this vital role.”
provide value even as Hizballah impedes the mission’s
Debates over UNIFIL and U.S. Policy
freedom of movement and restricts access, preventing full
U.S. Administrations have disagreed over the mission and
implementation of UNIFIL’s mandate.” The August 2022
size of UNIFIL. In 2020, former U.S. Ambassador to
resolution reauthorizing UNIFIL’s mandate (UNSCR 2650)
Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman described UNIFIL as a stabilizing
reiterated that, per the 1995 status of forces agreement
presence in southern Lebanon, stating that Hezbollah strikes
between Lebanon and the United Nations, “UNIFIL does
across the Blue Line have significantly decreased since
not require prior authorization or permission to undertake
UNSCR 1701 (2006) increased UNIFIL’s troop ceiling
its mandated tasks and … is authorized to conduct its
from 2,000 to 15,000. Feltman stated, “UNIFIL’s value in
operation independently.” The language reportedly is
constraining Hezbollah comes down to its size. Through
intended to counter what UNIFIL has described as
sheer numbers, it essentially saturates the south. Even if it
“misinformation” among some residents that UNIFIL is not
can evade UNIFIL scrutiny at times, as the tunnels show,
authorized to patrol without the presence of the LAF. A
Hezbollah does not have the almost complete freedom of
2020 U.N. Secretary-General assessment of UNIFIL
movement in the south that it enjoyed under ‘old’ UNIFIL.”
(S/2020/473) stated that in some instances, the local
population hindered UNIFIL patrols unless they were
The Obama Administration, while recognizing UNIFIL's
accompanied by the LAF. Hezbollah leader Hassan
limitations, generally did not seek to change the force’s
Nasrallah described the resolution as a “violation of
mandate. In 2009, Susan Rice, then-U.S. Permanent
Lebanese sovereignty.” UNSCR 2650 also extended for an
Representative to the United Nations, testified that
additional six months a provision contained in UNSCR
“UNIFIL is currently limited to a Chapter 6 mandate ...
2591 (2021) authorizing UNIFIL to take “temporary and
The strengthening of the mandate is an interest that I
special measures” to assist the LAF by providing food, fuel,
understand many good people on the Hill share. We
medicine, and logistical support.
certainly are sympathetic to it, but I don't think as a
practical matter than we will be able to muster the support
2022 Death of UNIFIL Peacekeeper
in the Security Council that would be necessary to
On December 14, 2022, an Irish soldier serving with
substantially strengthen the mandate ... We, frankly, think
UNIFIL died when a convoy of two armored vehicles
that … on balance the role that UNIFIL is playing adds
carrying eight personnel to Beirut came under “small arms
value rather than the opposite, even as we wish it would be
fire,” according to the Irish Defense Forces. The incident
able to do more.”
occurred in the village of al Aaqbiya, just south of Sidon
(see Figure 1), when a “crowd attacked” the vehicle he was
The Trump Administration, however, asserted that UNIFIL
traveling in, according to Ireland’s Foreign Affairs and
“patrols and checkpoints are of plainly limited use when
Defense Minister. Details of the incident remain unclear,
offending parties can simply hide weapons and tunnel
and are being separately investigated by UNIFIL, Ireland,
entrances on so-called ‘private property.’” U.S. and Israeli
and Lebanon. Hezbollah denied involvement in what it
officials accused Hezbollah of hiding weapons in violation
described as an “unintentional incident.”
of UNSCR 1701, and pushed for the addition of language to
UNIFIL’s mandate that would allow UNIFIL to access and
Issues for Congress
search private property for Hezbollah weapons. Trump
U.S. Funding. The United States provides assessed funding
Administration officials criticized Lebanon’s government
to UNIFIL through the Contributions for International
for not facilitating UNIFIL access to key sites, such as the
Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account in annual
Lebanese origin points of Hezbollah’s underground tunnels.
State/Foreign Operations appropriations bills. For FY2023,
the estimated U.S. UNIFIL assessment is $143 million. The
In response to U.S. pressure, the Security Council added
current U.S. peacekeeping assessment (including for
provisions to annual resolutions reauthorizing UNIFIL’s
UNIFIL) is 26.94%. Since the mid-1990s, Congress has
mandate. In 2017, U.S. officials successfully advocated for
capped U.S. peacekeeping payments at 25%, leading to the
language requiring UNIFIL to notify the Security Council
accumulation of U.S. arrears (about $1 billion since
whenever it encountered roadblocks or other obstacles;
FY2017). The Administration’s FY2023 budget request
these incidents are now noted in U.N. Secretary-General
includes $730.3 million for cap-related arrears payments.
reports on the implementation of UNSCR 1701. In 2019,
the Security Council approved U.S.-proposed language
UNIFIL Mandate. FY2022 legislation directed the
calling for the Secretary-General to assess the effectiveness
Administration to brief the Committees on Appropriations
of UNIFIL; the resulting report highlighted structural
“prior to future negotiations on the extension of UNIFIL’s
weaknesses. In 2020 the Security Council reduced
mandate.” In late 2022, UNIFIL reported that it has “yet to
UNIFIL’s maximum force strength from 15,000 to 13,000
gain full access to several locations of interest,” including
troops. Then-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly
Green Without Borders sites, tunnels crossing the Blue
Craft stated, “The reduction of the ceiling from 15,000
Line, and firing ranges outside of state control. Members
troops to 13,000 is an important step toward right-sizing a
may consider whether the Administration should seek to
mission that has for years been over-resourced given the
have the UNSC limit, expand, or otherwise alter UNIFIL’s
limits on its freedom of movement and access.”
mandate to increase effectiveness.
https://crsreports.congress.gov

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)

IF11915
Carla E. Humud, Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs

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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11915 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED