Israel cannot legally require peacekeepers to leave Lebanon

Dr Alexander Gilder, University of Reading, said: "The legal position is clear. Israel cannot require UN peacekeepers to leave Lebanon. They can remain in position as long as Lebanon continues to consent to their presence and the UN Security Council wishes for them to remain deployed."

"The UN Security Council voted unanimously in August this year to renew the mandate of the mission in Lebanon demonstrating resolve that UN peacekeepers should continue to have a presence in the area.

"Under their legal mandate, the UN peacekeepers have freedom of movement to undertake independent patrols and can use force in self-defence. UNIFIL can take all necessary measures to ensure its area of operations is not used for hostile activities.

"Peacekeepers are protected. If in the course of hostilities, peacekeepers are deliberately targeted by any of the parties to this conflict then that would be an international crime."

Image: United Nations Photo, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, cropped to fit house style.