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Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-863915
Israel, U.S. Oppose UNIFIL Renewal, Citing Failure to Prevent Hizbullah Infiltration in South Lebanon
(Jerusalem Post) Amichai Stein - Ahead of the UN Security Council discussion later this month on extending the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Israel and the U.S. have informed Council members that they oppose an automatic renewal of the mandate and are demanding a reassessment of the force's necessity. A diplomat said this comes "in light of its prolonged failure to prevent Hizbullah's infiltration into southern Lebanon, and to enforce the Lebanese government's sovereignty in the area." The Israeli and American position is based on the fact that UNIFIL, established nearly five decades ago as a temporary force, has failed to achieve its core objectives. Instead of acting as a buffer and preventing Hizbullah's militarization south of the Litani River, the force is a passive actor, submitting partial reports that do not reflect the reality on the ground. Since being tasked with preventing Hizbullah's rearmament during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, UNIFIL has done nothing to confront Hizbullah over its weapons. Israel and the U.S. have presented two alternatives: A full termination of UNIFIL's mandate and gradual withdrawal from the area, or a limited extension of a year, with the orderly dismantling of UNIFIL positions and the transfer of full security responsibility to the Lebanese government. Israeli officials see a rare strategic opportunity that could create conditions for the Lebanese government to reassert sovereignty in the south. Israel believes that there is no longer a need for an international intermediary force on the ground, and that UN resources would be better invested in supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces.