Failures of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon has sparked renewed criticism as the United Nations Interim Force stands accused of ignoring Hezbollah for years while its militants fortified positions just yards from peacekeeper posts. UNIFIL continues to hold positions even after Israel and others flagged their role as de facto shields for the terror group.
Israeli officials highlight that UNIFIL repeatedly failed to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1701, allowing Hezbollah to amass weapon caches and launch attacks near Blue Line border posts. In fact, UNIFIL discovered more than 100 Hezbollah weapons caches in the area since late 2024. Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon charged that UNIFIL “ignored the Hezbollah bases along the border and did not report any Resolution 1701 violations” for “18 years.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told UN Secretary‑General António Guterres: “Mr Secretary General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately.” He contends Hezbollah uses UN posts as “human shields.” But UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti defended troops’ presence, stating, “UNIFIL peacekeepers remain in all positions and the UN flag continues to fly” as they work to monitor cease‑fire violations.
Critics argue UNIFIL’s standing mandate to use force “to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities” has gone unfulfilled. According to open‑source reports, Hezbollah has frequently launched rockets from near UN positions—over 60 times in the 2006 war alone—tying peacekeepers to the failures of the mission.
European contributors and France have rejected Israeli demands for withdrawal, emphasizing peacekeeper protection and continuity of mission. Yet momentum is building for a reassessment. Opinion columns, including one in The Hill, argued UNIFIL must “do your job or get out of the way,” stating its presence currently assists Hezbollah by obstructing Israeli military operations
