The seemingly anecdotal ban on photography reveals a much more complex and sombre reality of UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) and UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organization) operations in southern Lebanon.

Created in March 1978 by a UN Security Council resolution, UNTSO's mission was to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon, while UNIFIL's was to restore peace and security, by helping the Lebanese government to regain control of this unstable region. However, this ambitious project soon came up against the reality of Hezbollah which, having established a considerable hold over the region, was determined to limit the United Nations' capacity for action.

Daily life under tension

A former UNTSO soldier, Michael, who served with this UN body in southern Lebanon, was interviewed by his country's daily newspaper, the Danish BT, on condition that his surname would not be revealed. Now retired after 25 years' service, he offers a nuanced view of the limited impact of this “force” on the region, particularly in the face of the omnipresent influence of Hezbollah. His account poignantly illuminates the frustration, powerlessness and challenges faced by peacekeeping forces in an area of palpable political and military tension.

He said it was clear that UNIFIL and UNTSO personnel could not operate freely, especially in the evenings, whenever Hezbollah was involved: ‘That's why we had a lot of free time in the evenings and at night,’ he said.

In particular, he insisted that the inspectors were not allowed to record the terrorists' activities: ‘We were not allowed to take videos or photos. And if we did, we risked ending up with locals confiscating our cameras. That's what happened to my UNIFIL and UNTSO colleagues.’

This constant surveillance, both passive and direct, prevented the UN forces from fulfilling their mission of monitoring the situation. If UNIFIL or UNTSO personnel tried to reach places where Hezbollah was suspected of operating, they were often stopped: ‘They simply blocked the way. They weren't openly armed, but they were aggressive and it was obvious that they were Hezbollah men; we knew very well who was taking the decisions, particularly in the Shiite towns. They didn't want us to see what they were doing.’ The tight control exercised by Hezbollah in the Shiite towns thus prevented any entry into their sensitive areas, making explicit the powerlessness of the UN forces in the face of a militia with strong roots and local support.

Frustration and lack of action

The major source of frustration, according to Michael, was UNIFIL's inability to enforce Resolution 1701, which banned and still prohibits military activities south of the Litani River, with the exception of the official Lebanese army. ‘We reported violations of this resolution [by Hezbollah] on a daily basis, but nothing changed. Our reports seemed to fall into a bureaucratic void, without any follow-up.’ This, and the lack of sanctions against Hezbollah, the main force violating Resolution 1701, ‘only confirmed what I've experienced in other countries where I've been sent: the UN is incompetent’, said Michael.

Michael also remembers what was happening on the border between Lebanon and Israel. ‘When we patrolled the Blue Line, we often saw civilians very close to Israeli military installations, taking photos. When this happened, we stayed back and observed the situation from a distance, following the instructions we had received,’ because the instructions were clear: avoid any direct contact with Hezbollah forces or their supporters.

The ambiguous collaboration of the interpreters

As Hezbollah's control in southern Lebanon was ‘massive’ and fear of this terrorist organisation was widespread, ‘citizens who did not support Hezbollah, particularly Christians, were afraid to speak out’.

A revealing anecdote concerns the interpreters used by the UN, some of whom were linked to or sympathisers of Hezbollah, to whom Michael refers: he had to expel an interpreter from his vehicle after the latter had expressed praise for Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. So there was collusion between Shia Muslims and UN staff, because some of the interpreters identified with Hezbollah. This kind of situation revealed the internal tensions within the UN teams themselves, with staff who were sometimes profoundly at odds with the values of the mission they were supposed to serve. Some of the UN inspectors in southern Lebanon were vehemently anti-Israeli. ‘I remember one in particular who was Irish,’ he said.

He also added that during meetings he had had, he had the impression that the Tsahal’s soldiers had excellent knowledge of the places where Hezbollah operated: ‘They could have easily located and identified Hezbollah's places on the other side of the border.’

Incidents and tragedies

An article in OLJ/Agences on 15 December 2022 reported on a tragic incident between UNIFIL and Hezbollah, in which an Irish UNIFIL soldier lost his life in the village of Aaqibiye. A reminder of just how precarious the situation on the ground is.

According to the Irish Defence Forces, a convoy of two armoured vehicles carrying eight people on their way to Beirut had come under ‘small arms fire’. ‘Four soldiers were taken to Rai Hospital, near Saida, following the incident. One soldier was pronounced dead on arrival and another underwent surgery and is in a serious condition,’ the Irish army said in a statement. ‘The other two soldiers are being treated for minor injuries. The other four members of the convoy were not injured and are unharmed’, the statement added. Although Hezbollah has denied any direct involvement in the soldier's death, describing the incident as an ‘accident’, it is difficult to ignore the violent and volatile environment in which these peacekeepers operate.

Conclusion

Michael's testimony highlights an often overlooked truth: UNIFIL's mission, while noble in theory, is profoundly hampered by the reality on the ground. The tight control of Hezbollah, the inability of the United Nations to act in the face of repeated violations of Resolution 1701, and the omnipresent fear that reigns in the region show that UNIFIL, like many other UN missions, is coming up against its own limits. For many, including Michael, this only reinforces the idea that the UN, in such complex contexts, is ‘incompetent’. This harsh judgement, which is widely shared, reflects a deep dismay at the inability of international institutions to establish lasting peace in a region where real power seems to escape all official control.

See, L’ex casco blu: “Eravamo completamente alla mercé di Hezbollah”