Blue Helmets patrol Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights. Why UN peacekeepers patrol the border between Israel and Syria? UN
More than 1,100 UN peacekeepers are currently stationed in the Golan Heights, a demilitarized zone on the border between Israel and Syria. Why are the Blue Helmets there and what is their role??
The history of one of the longest-running UN peacekeeping missions, the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), began more than half a century ago, when the Arab-Israeli War broke out in 1973.
In 1974, the Disengagement Agreement between Israeli and Syrian forces was signed, which provided for the creation of a zone of separation and two equal zones of limited forces and weapons on either side of this zone. UNDOF was created at the same time to oversee the implementation of this agreement.
What does the mission do?
The mission’s mandate has not changed since 1974. The primary role of UN peacekeepers is to maintain the ceasefire between Israel and Syria, monitor the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces, and monitor the areas of separation and limitation, as stipulated in the 1974 agreement. Every six months, the Security Council extends UNDOF’s mandate.
The force’s headquarters are located in Camp Faouar and are responsible for logistics, while peacekeepers patrol day and night in the area of separation. If any troops from either side attempt to operate in the area of separation, blue helmets are required to intervene and prevent such behavior. The mission also carries out mine clearance and explosive remnants of war.
UNDOF is one of three UN peacekeeping missions in the region. The other two are the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), established in 1948 and headquartered in Jerusalem, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has been in operation since 1978.
A UN peacekeeper talks to Syrian schoolchildren in the demilitarized zone.
What is the Separation Zone?
The Separation Zone is a demilitarized zone about 80 kilometers long, ranging from 10 kilometers wide in the center to less than one kilometer wide in the south. It is mostly hilly, with Mount Hermon in the north. There is a civilian population in the zone.
UN peacekeepers operate at an altitude of 2,814 meters above sea level. Snow falls frequently in the area, and blue helmets patrol the area with specialized winter equipment.
No military forces other than UNDOF are permitted to operate inside the zone of separation. It is flanked by two zones of restriction, each with a specific limit on the number and type of forces and equipment they can deploy.
Peacekeepers monitor compliance with the restrictions through biweekly inspections of Israeli and Syrian military positions by UNTSO military observers.
Challenges in the context of the current Middle East crisis
For decades, the mission has recorded ceasefire violations and worked with Israeli and Syrian authorities to stop them.
Tensions in the region increased during the war in Gaza last year, with 12 people killed in a rocket attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in July. The situation in the area of separation has become even more tense after Israel sent troops there following the fall of the Assad regime.
According to the interim head of UNDOF, Major General Patrick Goche, who briefed the Security Council in mid-January, UN peacekeepers remain in their positions and continue to carry out key tasks such as monitoring and patrolling the ceasefire line.
Golan residents have also expressed concern, calling on the IDF to leave their villages amid reports of arrests of their relatives. The Israeli military presence and the checkpoints they have set up have also seriously impacted UNDOF’s operational capabilities, jeopardizing the peacekeepers’ freedom of movement.
UN peacekeepers from Austria patrol the separation zone on skis, 1975.
Adapting to New Realities
In the face of current challenges, the mission has adapted its approach to carrying out its tasks. The number of weekly patrols has been increased from 10 to 40. Peacekeepers have also addressed urgent issues such as the clearance of unexploded ordnance in public places.
At the same time, efforts are being made to establish stable channels of communication with the de facto authorities in Syria, Gosha explained.
“It is imperative that UN peacekeepers are allowed to carry out their tasks without hindrance,” he told a Security Council meeting on 17 January, calling on all parties to respect the ceasefire and the terms of the 1974 agreement. “We look forward to the continued support of [UN] Member States to return to the full implementation of our mandate,” he added.
Can UNDOF peacekeepers use force?
UNDOF peacekeepers are authorized to use force in self-defense or in the protection of UN personnel, installations and equipment.
UNDOF operates under Chapter VI of the UN Charter, which emphasizes monitoring, observing and facilitating the implementation of peace agreements.