UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col today chaired a special Tripartite meeting, convened in a curtailed format due to the COVID-19 restrictions, with senior officers from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at a UN position in Ras Al Naqoura.
Discussions focused on the situation along the Blue Line, air and ground violations as well as other issues within the scope of UNIFIL’s mandate under UN Security Council resolution 1701 and subsequent related resolutions.
Major General Del Col encouraged the parties to utilize UNIFIL’s liaison and coordination mechanism at every opportunity, including the tripartite forum, and explore additional confidence-building measures.
“After all we are talking here about measures that serve both your interests by enhancing the security infrastructure along the Blue Line and mitigating the potential for friction,” said the UNIFIL Force Commander.
Major General Del Col also acknowledged the parties’ “continued efforts” to reduce tension across the Blue Line by avoiding provocative actions and asked the parties to continue to maintain this positive dynamic. Amidst the wider regional tensions that are beyond UNIFIL’s remit, Major General Del Col urged the parties to keep their focus on the stability of the Blue Line.
Tripartite meetings have been held regularly under the auspices of UNIFIL since the end of the 2006 war in south Lebanon as an essential conflict management and confidence building mechanism.