2023-10-15 19:04:14
The UN mission in Lebanon has among its tasks to monitor the cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, which have practically never disappeared and which these days have become especially virulent after the Hamas attack last weekend, and to accompany and assist to the Lebanese Armed Forces in the south of the country and along the separation between both countries called the Blue Line. Also guarantee humanitarian access to civilian populations and the voluntary and safe return of displaced people.
Currently, about 10,587 people from 40 nations are part of the mission, of which just over a thousand are civilians and the challenger, about 9,300, are military, under the command of Spanish General Aroldo Lázaro. Spain has been in Lebanon for more than 17 years participating in this UN mission, which in military terms is called “Libre Hidalgo.” To this day, more than 650 Spanish soldiers continue to fulfill their objective of maintaining international peace and security.
The military is deployed in two sectors, the East and the West, under Spanish and Italian command, respectively. They also make up a French Reserve Force.
The Spanish Armed Forces were deployed in Lebanon in September 2006. The bulk of the contingent in Operation Libre Hidalgo is located at the ‘Miguel de Cervantes’ base, near the town of Marjayún where the Eastern Sector Headquarters is located, led by Spain. There are also Spanish troops at the mission Headquarters in Naqoura.
UN Mission in LebanonT. Grandson
The Spanish military carries out patrols on foot and by vehicle to permanently monitor the line that separates Lebanon and Israel. They also establish observatories and carry out other activities in collaboration with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). All aimed at guaranteeing compliance with United Nations resolution 1701 and avoiding situations that could lead to an escalation of tension between the parties.
The Spanish contingent, which once had a maximum of 1,100 soldiers, has remained between 600 and 700 since 2012. Today, there are around 650 soldiers deployed.
Since the beginning of the mission, 16 Spanish soldiers have died in Lebanon.
The presence of UN troops on Lebanon’s border with Israel dates back to 1978. Until July 2006, the situation remained calm, but then new hostilities began between the two countries.
After intense negotiations, the UN Security Council approved a significant increase in the number of UNIFIL troops, from 2,000 to 15,000, and expanded its mandate.
In the UN’s strategic review of the mission in 2012, which established that the mission’s objectives were practically consolidated, the number of troops was considerably reduced.
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