Israel concerned UNIFIL heading toward collapse after France and Italy decide to withdraw significant number of troops from the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon

(JPost) Israel is growingly concerned with the possibility that UNIFIL, the multinational peacekeeping force in Lebanon, is headed towards collapse with a French decision this week to withdraw a significant number of its troops.

Following the Second Lebanon War in 2006, Israel succeeded in getting a number of European countries to contribute soldiers to the peacekeeping force, whose mandate was also beefed up as part of an international effort to prevent Hezbollah's rearmament. [...]

Earlier this week, France announced that it was withdrawing 400 soldiers from the force but that it would remain committed to the stability of Lebanon with the continued contribution of around 1,500 soldiers. Italy recently also announced plans to downsize its mission in Lebanon. [...]

The official said that the Italian and French decision to downsize their contributions was the result of the global economic crisis as well as the growing frequency of attacks against the force.

A roadside bomb wounded five French peacekeepers in southern Lebanon in December, in the third attack of the year on UN forces in the area. Italy reduced its contribution to UNIFIL last year to 1,100 soldiers from 1,800 after six of its peacekeepers were wounded in May, although diplomats said the decision to cut its contingent had been taken before the attack.