'We were completely at Hezbollah's mercy,' former UN peacekeeper says

A former United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) soldier, under the alias Michael, testified that UNIFIL was “totally subject to Hezbollah” when he worked in Lebanon 10 years ago in an interview with Danish news site B.T. on Sunday.

UNSTO, founded in 1948, is the first peacekeeping mission the United Nations ever created; with the mission of "monitor[ing] ceasefires, supervise[ing] armistice agreements, prevent[ing] isolated incidents from escalating and assist[ing] other UN peacekeeping operations in the region to fulfil their respective mandates.

The soldier had been tasked with observing and reporting violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 of 2006, which called for southern Lebanon to be without Hezbollah. 

Despite the organization’s mission, Michael reported, "We were totally subject to Hezbollah. We clearly had limited freedom of movement. For example, we never operated after dark for fear of Hezbollah. So they had free time in the evening and night hours.”

Michael also reported that UNIFIL and UNTSO workers had their access to cities in southern Lebanon restricted by Hezbollah, who would stop them when they tried to enter certain areas.

"They simply blocked the road. They were not visibly armed but aggressive, and it was quite clear that they were members of Hezbollah - we knew very well who decided things, especially in the Shiite cities,” said Michael. “They didn't want us to see what they were doing.”

Despite their obligations, Michael testified that workers would simply observe from a distance when suspicious persons photographed the Israeli border. 

"When we patrolled the Blue Line, we often saw 'civilians' very close to the Israeli military installations taking pictures,” he said. ”When that happened, we withdrew and observed from a distance – we were simply instructed to do so.”

Michael added that his ability to report what was happening to the security council was also limited, as Hezbollah terrorists would confiscate his devices if he attempted to collect evidence. 

Some outsourced workers for UNIFIL and UNTSO were also vocally supportive of Hezbollah, Michael recalled. 

“We had a number of interpreters who were indoctrinated into Hezbollah. I ended up throwing one of them out of my car once while he was praising Hassan Nasrallah. I simply didn't want to listen to it,' Michael claimed.

In spite of the barriers created by Hezbollah, Michael claimed that when reports were made about violations, nothing was done.

"We reported daily violations of resolution 1701 to our superiors, including in particular restrictions on our freedom of movement, and we were instructed to report all violations regardless of number. But nothing ever happened,' he said. "We did not hear back from them, and nothing was initiated. It was wildly frustrating, and it only confirmed to me what I had experienced in other countries I was posted to: The UN is incompetent.” 

Despite the aforementioned criticisms, Michael maintained that the on-the-ground workers had good intentions in Lebanon - “But of course, there were also some who were fervently anti-Israel. I especially remember one of them from Ireland.”

Now 10 years later, Michael said he couldn’t imagine how deeply embedded and developed Hezbollah’s infrastructure has become.

"We didn't hear or see any digging or tunnel construction when I was there - I would never hide that,” he testified. “On the other hand, several civilian houses and probably also a 'chicken farm' appeared close to the Blue Line while I was there, which, of course, we could not/were not allowed to inspect.”

Only two weeks ago, the IDF located a tunnel that would have allowed Hezbollah terrorists to infiltrate into northern Israel. 

“I remember, on the other hand, that the Israelis had a really good handle on where Hezbollah was. We often visited the IDF on the Israeli side of the border to get their presentation of the situation. And they could pinpoint exactly where they had spotted Hezbollah on the other side of the border.”

Combatting Hezbollah's threat

Michael’s testimony comes weeks after Israel began a land operation in Lebanon, seeking to remove Hezbollah’s ongoing threat in southern Lebanon. 

On October 8, only a day after Hamas’s massacre in southern Israel, the Lebanon-based terror group began firing on northern Israel - forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate. A number of civilians and soldiers have been killed in the attacks. 

UNIFIL refuses to move

Since Israel began its land operation in Lebanon, several communities have been evacuated to ensure minimal civilian risk as Israel targets Hezbollah. Despite the evacuation warnings, UNIFIL has repeatedly refused to move its workers - instead vocally criticizing Israel when UNIFIL infrastructure and personnel get caught up in the military actions.

UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti, in an interview with KAN on Wednesday, claimed the organization would not evacuate “at the request of the Israeli authorities, but in accordance with the request of the Security Council and the international community.” 

"It is important to maintain the ability to monitor the area so that it is possible to report to New York and the international community," he further told KAN. "And it is important for both sides to have an impartial and unbiased force that can do this. Additionally, it's important these days to provide humanitarian aid to thousands of people who are still stuck in villages in the south of the country."

The United Nations Office at Geneva complained on Monday morning that Israeli forces in Lebanon had “deliberately” targeted a UNIFIL watchtower and fence.

“Yet again, we remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times,” UNIFIL stated. 

Michael’s interview came in tandem with an Israel Hayom report that Hezbollah terrorists captured by the IDF testified that Hezbollah paid money to UNIFIL personnel to use their bases for operations - a claim UNIFIL denied to the Jerusalem Post. 

JERUSALEM POST STAFF contributed to this report.