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The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Friday called on the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to refrain from further strikes and fully withdraw from Lebanese territory after Israeli strikes endangered peacekeepers and civilians overnight.
The strikes come amid an ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza and continued violations of Security Council resolution 1701 by both Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants. The latest cessation of hostilities agreement between the two sides was signed last November.
Since its inception, UNIFIL has played an important role in advancing peace and security in southern Lebanon.
The mission’s ‘blue helmets’ are mandated to assist the parties to the conflict in their implementation of?resolution 1701, which brought an end to hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in 2006.
Call for de-escalation
“We, once again, urge the parties to refrain from any activities that may jeopardise the cessation of hostilities and we remain committed to supporting the parties to implement Security Council resolution 1701,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at a press briefing on Friday.
In its statement on Friday UNIFIL said the Israeli strikes “put the fragile stability that has been built since November of last year at risk” and that they “undermine civilians’ confidence that a non-violent solution” is possible.
Last November, the UN had welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached between the two parties.
------ Insert: Israeli strikes kill five in Lebanon in latest ceasefire breach 1w • At least five people have been killed and five others wounded after Israeli warplanes struck eastern Lebanon in the latest violation of the ceasefire agreement signed last November, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. [...] Israel has continued launching near-daily assaults on Lebanese territory, particularly in the south, while maintaining an occupation at five border outposts despite the truce requiring a full withdrawal earlier this year.
The conflict erupted on October 8, 2023, when Israel opened a military offensive in Lebanon. By the time the ceasefire was reached in November the following year, more than 4,000 people had been killed and almost 17,000 wounded.
The fragile truce is under further strain as Lebanon grapples with a contentious plan pushed by the United States and Israel to disarm Hezbollah.
The statement reiterated that UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army are working to restore stability to the south and along the 120km “Blue Line” between south Lebanon and northern Israel.
‘UN peacekeepers and civilians in danger’
According to the statement, peacekeepers stationed in Deir Kifa, near Burj Qalawieh in the south moved to shelters for safety follow Thursday night’s strikes. “The strikes put the lives of Lebanese soldiers, UN peacekeepers, and civilians in danger.”
“We call on the Israel Defense Forces to refrain from any further strikes and to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory,” UNIFIL wrote. “We further call on all sides to avoid further violations or escalatory actions.”
The mission stressed that “continued escalation puts the hard-fought progress the parties have made to restore stability at risk.”
UN peacekeepers continue to observe IDF activities in the mission’s area of operation, Mr. Dujarric told reporters at the regular noon briefing on Friday.
They found a land mine and other unexploded devices, while separately, a UNIFIL patrol found an unguarded weapon cache and reported it to the Lebanese Armed Forces, he said.
UNIFIL was established in 1978 to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. Since the adoption of resolution 1701, UNIFIL also monitors the cessation of hostilities and extends assistance to help ensure humanitarian access, among other responsibilities.
The assertion that the UN is biased against Israel is debated; while some observers believe a significant portion of the UN's focus on Israel is justified by its alleged violations of international law, others argue the UN demonstrates systemic, disproportionate criticism of Israel, ignoring actions of other states and terrorist groups, and even manipulating processes like Agenda Item 7 to single out the Jewish state. Arguments for bias highlight the disproportionate number of anti-Israel resolutions, the exclusive mandate of certain UN bodies to investigate Israel, and the formation of powerful blocs of states that consistently support anti-Israel positions. Those who dispute the bias claim it is a necessary response to Israel's repeated violations of international law and that the international community, including the UN, has a responsibility to hold Israel accountable.
Arguments for Bias
Disproportionate Focus: Critics point to the UN's exclusive Agenda Item 7 on the Human Rights Council (HRC) ..
[ Insert: 1. Hashmi (Pakistan), introducing the draft resolution on behalf of the main sponsors, namely the States Members of the United Nations that were members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) except Albania and Cameroon, said that the sponsors strongly condemned the illegal occupation of the Syrian Golan on the part of Israel. That decades-long occupation had given rise to numerous grave human rights violations, including the illegal imposition of Israeli citizenship on Syrian citizens, arbitrary arrests, torture, the exploitation of indigenous resources and the alteration of the area’s demographic composition. All unlawful actions aimed at perpetuating the illegal occupation, and the entrenched impunity fuelling those actions, were to be rejected. 2.The draft resolution highlighted the international legal principle that the acquisition of territory by force was inadmissible and reaffirmed the illegality of the decision taken by Israel in 1981 to impose its own domestic laws in the occupied Syrian Golan. The text also expressed hope for the resumption of peace talks on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). Moreover, Israel, the occupying Power, was called upon to comply with the relevant United Nations resolutions, in particular Security Council resolution 497 (1981). The text included language demanding the immediate cessation of all settlement-related plans and activities in the occupied Syrian Golan, including plans to expand such settlements and double the number of settlers in the coming years. It characterized Israeli actions aimed at changing the legal status of the Syrian Golan as a flagrant violation of international law and of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (Fourth Geneva Convention). Lastly, Member States were called upon not to recognize the illegal legislative and administrative measures put in place by Israel in the occupied Syrian Golan. He hoped that the draft resolution would be adopted by consensus. https://www.un.org/unispal/document/human-rights-council-summary-record-of-the-57th-meeting-agenda-item-7-human-rights-situation-in-palestine-and-other-occupied-arab-territories-a-hrc-52-sr-57-excerpts/ ] ..
and the large number of country-specific resolutions targeting Israel as proof of biased focus.
Mandated Bodies: Some UN human rights mandates, such as that of the Special Rapporteur on Palestine, are specifically tasked with investigating only Israel's violations, excluding other actors in the conflict, leading to a skewed perspective.
Political Blocs: A significant coalition of Arab nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, and other sympathetic countries wield considerable influence, consistently mobilizing to pass resolutions that disproportionately criticize Israel.
Exclusion from Regional Groups: Israel is often denied permanent membership in UN regional groups, a move seen as an effort to undermine its position and equal participation within the UN system.
Arguments Against Bias / For Accountability
Repeated Violations of International Law:
Proponents of accountability argue that the UN's scrutiny of Israel is a direct and justified response to repeated, serious violations of international law, citing reports of annexation, discrimination, and the systematic oppression of Palestinians.
Lack of Consequences: Many experts and organizations note that Israel faces little accountability for these violations, partly due to protections from its allies, which undermines the international legal system.
Focus on Actionable Solutions: Some observers suggest that the UN's actions, like calls for accountability and independent investigations, are not bias but necessary steps to uphold international law and provide aid to affected populations.
UNRWA and Aid: The UN's actions regarding the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), such as supporting its role in providing vital aid and resisting efforts to dismantle it, are presented as essential to humanitarian relief.
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