Give I'm a little bored - let's do a thread on UNIFIL etc.
The #UnitedNations Interim Force in #Lebanon, otherwise known as #UNIFIL #UN & #NATO peacekeeping operation which began in March 1978 - 42 years ago.
The #UnitedNations Interim Force in #Lebanon, otherwise known as #UNIFIL #UN & #NATO peacekeeping operation which began in March 1978 - 42 years ago.
On 11 March 1978, this escalated with what is now called the Coastal Road massacre planned by Abu Jihad. Here's a bit about the Coastal Road Massacre.
13 #Palestinian assailants apart from the #PLO faction #Fatah entered Israel via boat armed with a variety of weapons, explosives, and light mortars. Upon attempting to reach the shore, one of their vessels sank resulting in the death of two assailants.
The surviving 11 continued and landed at a beach north of #TelAviv.
On the beach, they encountered Gail Rubin, an #American photographer who just happened to be the niece of #UnitedStates #Senator Abraham A. Ribicoff (#Connecticut). After asking her where they were, she was mercilessly killed.
Yet to alert any authorities or attract any attention they moved onwards toward the coastal motorway where they opened fire at several passing vehicles and hijacked one - killing all its occupants.
This vehicle was consequently used to hijack a chartered bus carrying bus drivers and their families on a day outing.
With this bus, and their hostages they continued along the highway, continuing to fire at passing vehicles and throwing grenades out onto the road.
With this bus, and their hostages they continued along the highway, continuing to fire at passing vehicles and throwing grenades out onto the road.
On the bus, they fired at passengers and threw at least one body from it.
Later they commandeered bus 901 from Tel Aviv to Haifa and forced their hostages to change buses.
Later they commandeered bus 901 from Tel Aviv to Haifa and forced their hostages to change buses.
At one point bus, 901 stopped, and one perpetrator exited, later firing at a passing station wagon killing teenage Omri Tel-Oren and permanently wounding his father.
#Israeli police soon began to respond to the on-going incident, catching up to and pursuing the hijacked bus.
The hijackers shot at the pursuing police cars and ran through several roadblocks set up on the motorway.
The hijackers shot at the pursuing police cars and ran through several roadblocks set up on the motorway.
Finally, the bus was stopped at #GlilotJunction near #Herzliya. This roadblock was manned not by #Israeli counter-terrorism police, given the speed of the incident, but my relatively poorly armed patrolmen and traffic police.
As the firefight began the Israeli police shot out the bus's windows and ordered the hostages to jump. As they did the Israeli militants shot them.
Later into the firefight Assaf Hefetz, head of the Israeli Police CTU arrived on the scene before the rest of the unit and proceeded to storm the bus, killing two militants and sustaining a shoulder injury.
A total of 38 civilians were killed, including 13 children - the youngest being 3. A further 71 others were wounded including 1 Israeli soldier. Of the 11 perpetrators, 9 were killed - the survivors were trialed and imprisoned at a Military court in Lod.
After seven years they were released in the Jibril Agreement.
Reactions internationally were all similar, condemning the attack and encouraging Israel to not retaliate. Israel would do no such thing, Prime Minister Menachem Begin said "They came here to kill Jews. They...
...intended to take hostages and threatened, as the leaflet they left said, to kill all of them if we did not surrender to their demands... We shall not forget. And I can only call upon other nations not to forget that Nazi atrocity that was perpetrated upon our people yesterday"
Following this he spoke to the Knesset (Israel's legislature), saying "Gone forever are the days when Jewish blood could be shed with impunity. Let it be known: Those who shed innocent blood shall not go unpunished. We shall defend our citizens, our women, our children.
We shall sever the arm of iniquity."
And so, 3 days after the Coastal Road massacre, Israel responded in force.
And so, 3 days after the Coastal Road massacre, Israel responded in force.
The Israeli Defence Forces alongside the South Lebanon Army ('De Facto Forces' ~ UN) launched Operation Litani against Palestine Liberation Organisation facilities and installations in southern Lebanon.
A joint statement was released by the Israeli MFA and IDF stating that "The objective of the operation is not retaliation for the terrorists' crimes, for there can be no retaliation for the murder of innocent men, women, and children –
but to protect the state of Israel and its citizens from incursions of members of the Fatah and PLO, who use Lebanese territory in order to attack citizens of Israel."
On the same day, the Lebanese government submitted a protest to the UNSC.
On the same day, the Lebanese government submitted a protest to the UNSC.
Resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) were adopted.
These called upon Israel immediately to cease its military action & withdraw its forces from all Lebanon and established United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
The first UNIFIL troops arrived in the area on 23 March 1978.
These called upon Israel immediately to cease its military action & withdraw its forces from all Lebanon and established United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
The first UNIFIL troops arrived in the area on 23 March 1978.
In June 1982, Israel again invaded Lebanon eventually surrounding Beirut. UNIFIL forces unable to provide little more than protection and humanitarian assistance to the local populace was stuck behind Israeli lines for several years.
After 3 years, Israel carried out a partial withdrawal from Lebanon but remained in control of a portion of southern Lebanon alongside the South Lebanon Army (as mentioned before).
From 1985 to 2000 Israel ignored the Security Councils' commitment to Lebanon's territorial sovereignty. The land held was claimed to be "a temporary arrangement governed by its security concerns."
During this time UNIFIL was severely handicapped in what it was able to do yet persisted and tried hard to limit conflict, promote stability and protect non-combatants.
In 2000, Israeli notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations that it intended to withdraw its forces from Lebanon by July.
This prompted the Secretary-General and the Security Council to begin preparations for UNIFIL to fulfill its role.
This prompted the Secretary-General and the Security Council to begin preparations for UNIFIL to fulfill its role.
Special Envoy Terje Roed-Laren and the UNIFIL Force Commander met with the Governments of 🇮🇱🇱🇧🇪🇬🇯🇴🇸🇾.
This delegation also met with officials from the PLO.
This delegation also met with officials from the PLO.
On the 16 May IDF and DFF (SAL) forces began to vacate their positions and did so with great haste. Lebanese civilians and armed elements advanced as occupying forces withdrew.
It took 9 days for the IDF and DFF (SAL) forces to entirely withdraw from southern Lebanon.
It took 9 days for the IDF and DFF (SAL) forces to entirely withdraw from southern Lebanon.
As they did the Secretary-General was notified by Israeli authorities that they had redeployed their forces in compliance with Security Council resolutions.
On 16 June, the Secretary-General confirmed to the United Nations Security Council that Israel had indeed withdrawn it's forces and was now in compliance with resolution 425.
The Lebanese government was swift in it's take-over of formerly occupied terrain.
The Lebanese government was swift in it's take-over of formerly occupied terrain.
It informed the United Nations that alongside UNIFIL forces it would deploy a composite force comprising of members of the armed forces and internal security personnel.
In 2006, Hizbollah forces launched several missiles from Lebanese territory and crossed the Blue Line into Israel attacking a patrol and capturing 2 soldiers.
This caused the entire Blue Line to flare up with conflict breaking out between Israeli and Hizbollah forces.
Duty calls - back momentarily.
Hizbollah targeted IDF positions and most notably, towns, south of the Blue Line - in retaliation, the IDF responded with air, ground, and sea attacks - crippling Hizbollah installations and Lebanese infrastructure within and outside the UNIFIL AO.
As the conflict continued to deteriorate, and being severely impeded by ongoing violence, UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to operate conducting military observations and aiding humanitarian efforts.
16 United Nations staff consequently lost their lives.
16 United Nations staff consequently lost their lives.
With the loss of UN personnel and the worsening situation, the Security Council on 11 August 2006 passed resolution 1701 which called for the cessation of hostilities.
The United Nations Security Council created a buffer zone between the Lebanese border and thee Blue Line.
The United Nations Security Council created a buffer zone between the Lebanese border and thee Blue Line.
This area was to be free of any armed personnel, assets, and weaponry other than those of the Government of Lebanon and UNIFIL.
The Lebanese Government later deployed 15,000 personnel to Southern Lebanon alongside the 2,000 UNIFIL troops in the area.
The Secretary-General said, "the tragic 34-day conflict has thrown the region back into the instability that prevailed for decades”. Stressing that security, stability, and comprehensive peace remained the overarching goals, he said “a start has been made”...
while cautioning that “many other steps are required.”
The outcome of this brief war?
Official Lebanese figures stated that 1,187 people had died with a further 4,092 wounded.
The OCHA estimated that up to a million Lebanese had bee displaced, with 3/4 seeking refuge in Lebanon and 1/4 elsewhere.
Official Lebanese figures stated that 1,187 people had died with a further 4,092 wounded.
The OCHA estimated that up to a million Lebanese had bee displaced, with 3/4 seeking refuge in Lebanon and 1/4 elsewhere.
However, according to the UNHCR, 900,000 or so had returned to their homes within days of the conflict coming to a close.
43 Israeli citizens were killed alongside 117 members of the IDF.
A further 101 were wounded.
3,970 rockets landed in Israel, 901 in urban areas.
A further 101 were wounded.
3,970 rockets landed in Israel, 901 in urban areas.
This resulted in 300,000 being displaced and over a million were forced, non-permanently, to reside in shelters.
Since, skirmishes have occurred between the various factions involved along the border with both sides taking relatively aggressive sides.
The UNIFIL mission now includes assisting the clearance of mines left over from more than 4 decades of conflict and
The UNIFIL mission now includes assisting the clearance of mines left over from more than 4 decades of conflict and
continues to aid humanitarian and medical missions as well as providing basic necessities such as water, sanitation, and medicine.
As of 2020, UNIFIL comprises of 10,042 peacekeepers from 45 nations - all around the world.
I'll list the lot below.
I'll list the lot below.
🇦🇲- 33
🇸🇻 - 52
🇮🇳 - 780
🇳🇬- 1
🇦🇹 - 156
🇪🇪 - 1
🇮🇩 - 1,254
🇵🇪 - 1
🇧🇩 - 117
🇫🇮 - 168
🇮🇪 - 294
🇵🇱 - 221
🇧🇾 - 5
🇫🇷 - 636
🇮🇹 - 923
🇧🇷 - 223
🇸🇻 - 52
🇮🇳 - 780
🇳🇬- 1
🇦🇹 - 156
🇪🇪 - 1
🇮🇩 - 1,254
🇵🇪 - 1
🇧🇩 - 117
🇫🇮 - 168
🇮🇪 - 294
🇵🇱 - 221
🇧🇾 - 5
🇫🇷 - 636
🇮🇹 - 923
🇧🇷 - 223
🇫🇯 - 1
🇰🇿 - 122
🇷🇸 - 178
🇧🇳 - 30
🇲🇰 - 3
🇰🇪 - 3
🇸🇱 - 3
🇰🇭 - 184
🇩🇪 - 126
🇰🇷 - 283
🇸🇮 - 6
🇨🇳 - 419
🇰🇿 - 122
🇷🇸 - 178
🇧🇳 - 30
🇲🇰 - 3
🇰🇪 - 3
🇸🇱 - 3
🇰🇭 - 184
🇩🇪 - 126
🇰🇷 - 283
🇸🇮 - 6
🇨🇳 - 419
🇬🇭 863
🇲🇾 - 828
🇪🇸 - 625
🇨🇴 - 1
🇬🇷 - 139
🇲🇹 - 9
🇱🇰 - 145
🇲🇾 - 828
🇪🇸 - 625
🇨🇴 - 1
🇬🇷 - 139
🇲🇹 - 9
🇱🇰 - 145
🇭🇷 - 1
🇬🇹 - 2
🇳🇵 - 870
🇹🇿 - 157
🇨🇾 - 2
🇭🇺 - 4
🇳🇱 - 1
🇹🇷 - 170
🇺🇾 - 2
🇬🇹 - 2
🇳🇵 - 870
🇹🇿 - 157
🇨🇾 - 2
🇭🇺 - 4
🇳🇱 - 1
🇹🇷 - 170
🇺🇾 - 2
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