On March 16, a gunshot struck a parked vehicle in the northern Israeli community of Avivim, near the Lebanese border. The IDF confirmed that the shot most likely originated from Lebanese territory. No injuries were reported, and Israeli forces immediately launched an investigation. In its statement, the IDF emphasized that “any fire toward Israel from Lebanese territory constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.” In response, the IDF launched retaliatory strikes on Hezbollah-linked targets in the Lebanese village of Aynata.
The Avivim shooting is only the latest in a series of border incidents highlighting Hezbollah’s continued violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and of the current ceasefire arrangement. Resolution 1701, passed at the end of the 2006 Second Lebanon War, was intended to prevent the rearmament of Hezbollah and the resumption of hostilities in southern Lebanon.
Under this resolution, which is renewed every August, the area between the Litani River and the Israeli border was designated as a weapons-free zone, with only the official Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL authorized to conduct armed operations there.
UNIFIL was explicitly tasked by Resolution 1701 with assisting the Lebanese army in enforcing these restrictions and has been authorized to take “all necessary action” to ensure that this area is not utilized for hostile activities in its area of operations.
However, in practice, UNIFIL has consistently failed to prevent Hezbollah from fortifying its positions in southern Lebanon. This pattern has continued into the current ceasefire period, with UNIFIL allowing the terrorist organization to build up its military infrastructure in direct violation of the ceasefire agreement.
For years, Israel has warned that UNIFIL is ineffective, due to two fundamental problems. First, its mandate is unclear, as Resolution 1701 does not explicitly define its enforcement powers, leaving its role ambiguous.
Second, Hezbollah has systematically intimidated UNIFIL, restricting its movement, preventing inspections, and even attacking UN peacekeepers to limit their ability to operate freely.
Hezbollah has blocked UNIFIL patrols from entering key areas, attacking its vehicles, and destroyed its surveillance cameras. Instead of confronting these challenges, UNIFIL has largely avoided direct confrontations with Hezbollah and has failed to curb its military buildup.
Following the attack in Avivim, UNIFIL did not issue a condemnation, launch an investigation, or even release a statement. This silence is not unusual – UNIFIL has repeatedly failed to respond to Hezbollah’s cross-border provocations. The organization’s passivity has effectively shielded Hezbollah from international scrutiny and allowed the Iran-backed terrorist organization to operate freely.
During the recent war, it became clear that UNIFIL is not just ineffective but actively detrimental to the implementation of Resolution 1701. One of the long-standing justifications for UNIFIL’s inaction was that its forces were not allowed to enter private property, which Hezbollah exploited by hiding weapons inside civilian homes and agricultural areas. However, the war revealed that Hezbollah was also operating in open areas, often in close proximity to UNIFIL positions. Despite this, UNIFIL took no action to prevent Hezbollah from digging attack tunnels, stockpiling weapons, or preparing cross-border raids.
Another justification often cited for UNIFIL’s failures is that its personnel fear for their safety and avoid provoking Hezbollah to prevent violent retaliation. However, during Israel’s limited ground operation in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL actively obstructed IDF activities. Although Israel requested that UNIFIL temporarily evacuate from specific areas of military operations to avoid collateral damage, UNIFIL refused.
Instead, its forces remained in place, interfering with IDF efforts to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure, in the narrow area of southern Lebanon in which IDF ground forces maneuvered (the IDF operated in an area much smaller than the UNIFIL area of operation). In some cases, UNIFIL personnel appeared unexpectedly on the battlefield, disrupting IDF maneuvers and providing an opportunity for Hezbollah terrorists to escape. Multiple documented incidents, including video evidence, confirm that UNIFIL personnel acted in ways that effectively aided Hezbollah rather than enforcing the ceasefire agreement.
Even after the fighting subsided, UNIFIL has remained completely absent from enforcement efforts. Since the ceasefire took effect, Hezbollah has continued its daily violations of Resolution 1701, including activity at military positions near the border, the deployment of armed personnel in prohibited areas, and the smuggling of weapons. The IDF has been left to address these violations unilaterally, as UNIFIL has taken any action against Hezbollah’s ongoing military activity.
A Useless Organization at a Critical Moment
Three months into the ceasefire, UNIFIL has demonstrated that it serves no meaningful purpose whatsoever. It does not monitor Hezbollah’s activities, does not prevent violations of the ceasefire, and does not enforce any of the restrictions outlined in Resolution 1701. Instead, the burden of implementation has fallen entirely on the IDF, which has been forced to police Hezbollah’s actions without international support.
The Alma Center has long advocated for significant reductions in UNIFIL’s size and budget, arguing that the force has proven ineffective. Following the war, it is increasingly clear that even this approach may be insufficient. If UNIFIL cannot enforce its mandate, its presence serves no purpose beyond providing Hezbollah with an international smokescreen to continue its military buildup unchecked.
Recent reports have suggested that UNIFIL’s role may be expanded to include operations along the Syrian border, an idea that raises serious concerns. If UNIFIL has been unable to fulfill its existing mandate, there is little reason to believe that an expanded mission would be any more effective.
The reality on the ground has already rendered UNIFIL obsolete. Resolution 1701 was designed to prevent Hezbollah from rearming and to ensure that the area south of the Litani River remained demilitarized. Instead, prior to October 7, 2023, Hezbollah has turned southern Lebanon into a heavily armed forward base for its operations against Israel. Now, after the IDF dismantled a significant part of Hezbollah’s infrastructure, Hezbollah is working on doing the same, rebuilding its military power in south Lebanon.
If UNIFIL is to remain in Lebanon, its mandate must be fundamentally restructured. It must be granted the authority, capability – and the will – to actively confront Hezbollah’s violations rather than merely serving as a passive observer. However, given that such a change has not occurred in nearly two decades, there is little reason to believe that it will happen now.
In the meantime, Israel will continue to do what UNIFIL has failed to do – protect its northern residents and enforce the terms of the ceasefire.
Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Sarit Zehavi is the Founder and President of the Alma Research and Education Center.