Israel seeks to reshape UNIFIL's role in Lebanon as tensions with Iran resurface

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

With U.S. backing, Israel is seeking to prevent any future continuation of UNIFIL's activities in Lebanon. The issue was raised during the Israel Hayom Summit in New York, where Israeli officials discussed the matter with senior U.S. officials.

Among them was U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, who launched a sharp attack on the international force operating in South Lebanon, describing it as a "human shield for terrorists." Waltz said he would seek to change UNIFIL's activities during his expected talks in Beirut next week.

Meanwhile, an Israeli political official told the Walla news website that Tel Aviv opposes French President Emmanuel Macron's initiatives to establish a new European military force in South Lebanon. The official said Israel shares Washington's position that any new mechanism must have the confidence of both Israel and Lebanon. 

As Lebanon's future security arrangements come under renewed scrutiny, attention has also returned to Iran, amid reported disagreements between Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

While Israel continues preparations for the possibility of further military escalation, Netanyahu held a security meeting attended only by Defense Minister Israel Katz and the National Security Council chief. Notably, the security cabinet, which is responsible for major political and military decisions, has not convened since October 5.

Analysts have viewed the absence of security cabinet meetings as another indication of Netanyahu's efforts to keep control of security and military matters in his own hands.

Against this backdrop, an Israeli report said the objective of any future confrontation with Iran would be to launch a swift and intensive military campaign capable of achieving its goals within a short period, rather than becoming embroiled in a prolonged war that could widen the regional conflict.

However, such a campaign would have to contend with Iran's ability to identify vulnerabilities and respond to hostile military movements. This has prompted Israel's security establishment to reassess the capabilities of the Iranian air force, which was not deployed during previous rounds of fighting.

This comes despite Tel Aviv's claims that it had targeted Iranian fighter jets before they could take part in any confrontation.