The United Nations Security Council backed the independence of its peacekeeping force to investigate Hezbollah military sites on Israel’s northern border in a 13-0 vote. Russia and China both abstained.
The move was a victory for Israel, the United States and the United Arab Emirates which had worked to thwart a move by France to have UNIFIL seek to coordinate its movements with the Lebanese government. Last year’s resolution had guaranteed that it could act without such coordination.
Negotiations until the eleventh hour
Negotiations on the text had continued until the last moment. A compromise was reached by which the text stated that UNIFIL “is authorized to conduct its operation independently while continuing to coordinate its with the government of Lebanon.”
The IDF map indicating Hezbollah’s presence and activity in southern Lebanon that was attached to Erdan’s letter and distributed to UNSC members, Nov. 17, 2020. (credit: PERMANENT MISSION OF ISRAEL TO THE UN)Emirati Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh said her country would have liked to see more clear language in this paragraph, there was “no way it could be interpreted or missed to delay, under or restrict UNIFIL’s freedom of movement or ability to act independently.
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