Unifil (unifil) In Lebanon, Long-term Presence Of Reason (1978-2006)

United Nation Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is a peacekeeping force dispatched to the southern Lebanon in March, 1978 by the Security Council of the United Nation. This force still remains in Lebanon.On 11 March 1978, a commando attack by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) resulted in many dead and wounded among the Israeli population. In response, Israeli forces invaded Lebanon on the night of 14/15 March, and in a few days occupied the entire southern part of the country except for the city of Tyre and its surrounding area. The Security Council, in the light of the request of the Government of Lebanon and upon the proposal of America, adopted resolution 425 and decided on the immediate establishment of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. This interim force was created for three defined purposes: (a) confirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces; (b) restoring international peace and security; (c) assisting the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area, which seems clear but with many difficulties in practice.In order to wipe out the PLO, Israel invaded Lebanon again in 1982 and forced PLO to retreat from Lebanon. As Israeli established its"Safety Zone"in southern Lebanon, another anti-Israeli force - Hizbullah popped up, which was dually supported by Iran and Syria.In the year of 2000, Israel ultimately retreated from Lebanon; Syria also withdrew its forces from Lebanon in the spring of 2005, it should be the time that UNIFIL could realize its defined goals. However, with the purpose to survive and raise its reputation among Arabs, Hizbullah continued its struggle against Israel under the pretext of the Shabaa Farm disputation. The conflict eventually broke out into large-scaled war in July 12, 2006.Factors like Israeli worries about its safety, powerless of Lebanon government, Syria-Lebanon special relations, the rising of Hizbullah, interference of external powers, special characteristics of the conflicting party and etc., caused the instabilities of the southern Lebanon, which keeps UNIFIL prolonging its duration.