UNIFIL's mandate expanded 20 years ago to monitor Lebanon ceasefire
Two decades ago, the U.N. expanded UNIFIL's mandate in Lebanon to include monitoring a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Twenty years ago, the United Nations expanded the mandate of its Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL. The updated mandate added the task of monitoring adherence to a ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon.
Hezbollah was formed in 1982 to counter a second Israeli invasion of Lebanon. In the decades since, it has grown into one of the most influential militant and political forces in the region, with its confrontation with Israel continuing over many years.
UNIFIL operates in southern Lebanon, an area that has long been at the center of the standoff between Israel and Hezbollah. The mandate expansion two decades ago strengthened the U.N.'s role as an observer overseeing compliance with ceasefire terms between the two sides.
