Blue Line (Lebanon)

The Blue Line is a border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel, drawn by the United Nations for the purposes of determining whether Israel had withdrawn from Lebanon.

Background

On March 11 1978, the Palestine Liberation Organization carried out a massive terrorist attack in Israel - a busload of civilians was massacred totalling 37 dead. In response, Israeli forces invaded the area of Lebanon from which the PLO operated regularly during the 70s. Starting on the night of 14/15 March, and culminating in a few days, the IDF occupied the entire southern part of the country except for the city of Tyre and its surrounding area. This operation known in Israel as the Litani Operation.

On March 15 1978, the Lebanese Government submitted a strong protest to the United Nations Security Council against the Israeli invasion, stating that it had no connection with the Palestinian operation. On March 19, the Council adopted resolutions 425 (1978), in which it called upon Israel immediately to cease its military action and withdraw its forces from all Lebanese territory. It also decided on the immediate establishment of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The first UNIFIL troops arrived in the area on March 23 1978.

Definition

The Blue Line is based on the deployment of the IDF prior to March 14 1978. It is equivalent to the 'Purple Line' which is the cease-fire line of the Six Day War (1967), and the 'Green Line' (established in 1949) which is the cease-fire line of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Some contend that a partial 1923 map that attempted to demark the border of France and Britain's territory (see: Treaty of Sèvres) should be considered a previous definition of the Israeli-Lebanese border as well, since Lebanon is an ex-French mandate and Israel an ex-British mandate. (See League of Nations)

Borders are usually negotiated between countries, and in the period of 1949-1967 Israeli and Lebanese surveyors managed to complete 25 Kilometers and mark (but not sign) another quarter of the international border. In April 17 2000 when Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak announced that Israel will begin withdrawing its forces from Lebanon the Lebanese government refused to partake in marking the border. This had forced the UN to conduct its own survey based on the line discussed in UN Security Council Resolution 425.

On May 25 2000, the government of Israel notified the Secretary-General that Israel had redeployed its forces in compliance with Security Council resolutions 425.

From May 24 to June 7 2000, the UN Special Envoy travelled to Israel, Lebanon and the Syria to follow up on the implementation of the Secretary-General's May 22 report[1]. The United Nations cartographer and his team, assisted by UNIFIL, worked on the ground to identify a line to be adopted for the practical purposes of confirming the Israeli withdrawal. While this was not a formal border demarcation, the aim was to identify a line on the ground conforming to the internationally recognized boundaries of Lebanon, based on the best available cartographic and other documentary evidence.

On June 7 the completed map showing the withdrawal line was formally transmitted by the Force Commander of UNIFIL to his Lebanese and Israeli counterparts. Notwithstanding their reservations about the line, the Governments of Israel and Lebanon confirmed that identifying this line was solely the responsibility of the United Nations and that they would respect the line as identified. On June 8, UNIFIL teams commenced the work of verifying the Israeli withdrawal behind the line.

On June 16, the Secretary-General reported to the Security Council that Israel had withdrawn its forces from Lebanon in accordance with resolution 425 (1978) and met the requirements defined in his report of May 22 2000 -- namely, Israel had completed the withdrawal in conformity with the line identified by the United Nations, South Lebanese Army militia had been dismantled, and all detainees held at Al-Khiam prison had been freed.[2]

The withdrawal line has been termed the Blue Line in all official UN communications since.

Violations

Main article: History of Lebanon.

Also see: Shebaa Farms.

External Links

• Lebanon Background UNIFIL
• Thin Blue Line Ze'ev Schiff, Ha'aretz, June 23, 2000
• SECURITY COUNCIL ENDORSES SECRETARY-GENERAL’S CONCLUSION ON ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM LEBANON AS OF 16 JUNE UN Security Council Press Release SC/6878, June 16, 2000