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Behind the establishment of UNIFIL: Why is the international community so concerned about the situation in Lebanon?
In 1978, with Israel's military operations against Lebanon, the international community focused on this turbulent region.Israel's "Operation Litani" was caused by the coastal road massacre near Tel Aviv on March 11 that year. The incident was caused by Palestinian militants in Lebanon, causing a large number of civilian casualties and triggering a major humanitarian crisis.
The conflict caused the deaths of 1,100 to 2,000 Lebanese and Palestinians, while only 20 people were killed on the Israeli side.
In resolutions 425 and 426 adopted by the United Nations Security Council on 19 March 1978, the international community's concern about the situation in Lebanon highlights the desire for regional stability, especially in the protection of civilian lives and safety.These resolutions demanded a rapid withdrawal of Israel and the establishment of UNIFIL, the United Nations Interim Force, aimed at stabilizing the situation and assisting the Lebanese government in restoring effective jurisdiction over the region.
UNIFIL's establishment marks the international community's desire to intervene and support for Lebanon, especially for the protection and humanitarian assistance of civilians.
However, despite the good intentions of the United Nations to intervene in Lebanon, the reality shows the complexity of the situation in the region.To what extent UNIFIL's task can achieve its goals is still an unsolved question.According to various reports, UNIFIL is facing a dilemma: while trying to strengthen security, it is also challenged by local armed groups.
The situation in southern Lebanon was affected not only by Israeli and Palestinian resistance, but also by internal Lebanon society and its diverse religious communities.Since 1968, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has set up a quasi-state in Lebanon, using the region to launch attacks on Israel, leading to long-term conflicts.
As Israel continues to launch air strikes, Lebanon's civilians and infrastructure are facing heavy blows, resulting in a large number of refugees, with about 300,000 people fleeing Southern Lebanon.
In this military conflict, the international community's response, although it was rapid, did not bring about immediate and lasting peace.The deployment of UNIFIL troops did not end the battle within Lebanon, but instead further confronted armed groups of different factions in the area.This makes peacekeeping work even more difficult for the force.
As time passed, the legitimacy and existence value of UNIFIL were questioned, especially in the context of new conflicts and constant outbreaks of wars, including the 1982 incident of Israel's re-invasion of Lebanon.In addition, the struggles between different factions within Lebanon have continuously affected the overall security pattern and increased the international community's attention to Lebanon.
Although the emergence of UNIFIL is a positive step, will Lebanon's future become stable and secure due to the intervention of the international community?
Looking back on history, it is not difficult to find that Lebanon's contradictions are rooted in disputes between interests of multiple parties and domestic and foreign struggles over the region's policies.Can the effectiveness of the rescue operation really change the fate of Lebanon?Will cooperation among countries form lasting guarantees?These issues are worthy of our in-depth discussion.In the context of complex peacekeeping, is the role of the international community a savior or a cheering player on fire still an unsolved puzzle?
