Unifil, the rules of engagement against Hezbollah that Italy wants to change

The UN mission Unifil (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), which is at the centre of the attacks of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) in these hours, was born with Resolution 425 of 19 March 1978 by the UN Security Council, following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon (March 1978). Subsequent resolutions extended the mission's duration every six months. Israeli PM Netanyahu urged the UN to remove Unifil from Hezbollah strongholds and combat areas. The mandate is renewed annually by the UN Security Council. The Blue Helmets' area of operations is bounded by the Litani River to the north and the Blue Line to the south.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701 was passed in August 2006 during the then round of war between Hezbollah and Israel. This resolution also defined the rules of engagement for the UN blue helmets. After first calling for a cessation of hostilities between the parties and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon, the resolution provided for - and still provides for - the deployment of the regular Lebanese army and the strengthening of the UN military interposition mission (Unifil).

The blue helmets may assist the Lebanese army in ensuring security and stability in their area of operations, but they must always operate under the coordination and guidance of the Beirut army command, respecting Lebanese sovereignty. The rules of engagement stipulate that the use of force must always be proportional to the perceived threat and limited to the minimum necessary to achieve the desired effect. Blue Helmets are only allowed to use force in self-defence. Operations must be closely coordinated with the Lebanese forces. These, in fact, at least until mid-September, have always remained in close contact with Hezbollah, through liaison officers between the Party of God and Lebanese military intelligence.

Locked in bunkers for hours. Impossible for the Blue Line to monitor operations. With the concrete risk of ending up under Israeli fire even at their own bases. Italy asks the United Nations to review the rules of engagement. For months, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has been urging the UN to put its hands on inadequate solutions. The failure to implement UN Resolution 1701 has over the years favoured the establishment of Hezbollah in what was supposed to be a 'buffer' area in southern Lebanon. "The mandate issued for Unifil is adequate", the Chief of Defence Staff, General Luciano Portolano, lastly emphasised, speaking on the programme "In mezzora" on RAI 3, on 13 October. "What is not adequate and what has often created frustration for me, also with the local population", he added, "are the rules of engagement that are not proportional to the tasks assigned to the force, including the capacity and the need to disarm the armed groups in Lebanon, in this case Hezbollah". That on the current validity of the Unifil mission 'is a reflection that I have been doing for more than six months with the UN and that I therefore leave to my daily discussions with the UN,' Crosetto confided.

Currently, the maximum annual size authorised by Italy for the national contingent deployed in the mission is 1,256 military personnel, 374 land vehicles and 6 air vehicles. Within the national framework, the operation is called 'Leonte'. At present, there are 1068 Italian military personnel in Lebanon. Since 2 August 2024, Army Brigadier General Stefano Messina has been in command of Unifil's Sector West and the Italian Joint Task Force in Lebanon (JTF L-SW), mainly composed of soldiers from the "Sassari" Brigade. Within Sector West, around 3,500 blue helmets from 16 of the 49 nations deployed in the western region of the Land of the Cedars operate. In particular, military personnel from Armenia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, South Korea, Ghana, Hungary, Ireland, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, Latvia, Malaysia, Malta, Moldova, Poland, Serbia and Tanzania are operating. The western sector of Unifil is divided into five intervention areas in which, in addition to the Italian contingent, a South Korean battalion, a Malaysian battalion, a Ghanaian battalion and a mixed Irish-Polish battalion operate. Of the approximately one thousand Italian soldiers, 500 belong to the Sassari Brigade. They operate in the bases of Shama, Al Manosuri and in the advanced UNP 1-31 and UNP 1-32 A positions, which rise above the Blue Line.