From 5 to 10 April, the Joint Task Force Lebanon (JTF-L) of Sector West (SW) deployed, in addition to the devices already in place, in the 51-kilometer stretch that insist in the SW of the Blue Line, the line "Practice" that separates Lebanon from Israel, has over 90 assets to guarantee temporary observation posts and has conducted more than 20 motorized and footed patrols, round the clock, of specific sensitive areas identified in advance.
The precautionary measures, implemented at the turn of the Israeli political elections, held last April 9, were aimed at preventing any possibility of escalation of tension between the parties along the Blue Line, considered, to date, one of the most sensitive areas of the Middle East .
On 22 March, the commander of SW, Brigadier General Diodato Abagnara, ordered an increase in the presence of troops in the areas deemed most sensitive. The subsequent launch of the "Blue Line enhancement" operation on 5 April, with the increase in control and monitoring measures, implemented the deployment of men and vehicles on the ground to consolidate the interposition role between Lebanon and Israel and de-escalation between the parties.
The total use of approximately 900 Blue Helmets of the maneuvering Task Forces (ITALBATT, GHANBATT and IRISHBATT) for the monitoring and control of the sectors to which they belong, with the help of the rapid intervention forces framed in the Sector Mobile Reserve (SMR), employed by the JTF-L, favored the maintaining a calm and stable situation for the duration of the operation.
In this regard, the president of the Federation of Municipalities of the Municipality of Bint Jbeil, Atallah Shaito, remarked, during a meeting with the commander of Sector West, how the strengthening of the presence of Blue Helmets it has also raised the level of perception of security among the local population.
One of the main tasks of the peacekeepers of the UNIFIL Mission, in compliance with the Resolution 1701/2006 of the United Nations Security Council, is the monitoring of the cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel. In this context, the activities conducted seamlessly along the Blue Line, contribute not only to maintaining the stability of the area but are also aimed at encouraging the implementation of the international mandate, with the aim of allowing the desirable achievement of a permanent ceasefire between the parties.
