What is UNDOF? Why do UN peacekeepers patrol the Israel-Syria border?
One of the United Nations organizations longest lasting peacekeeping mission – The United Nations Withdrawal Observer Force, known by its acronym UNDOF – was established more than half a century ago when the 1973 Middle East crisis broke out.
the Disengagement agreement between Israeli and Syrian forces was signed to create a separate zone and create two equal zones with limited forces and weapons on both sides of the zone. UNDOF was established to monitor implementation.
Here’s what you need to know:
Create peace to end the crisis
After the 1973 Israel-Egypt war, the situation in the Israel-Syria region became increasingly unstable in March 1974 as clashes increased.
UNDOF was established at the end of May 1974 and on 3 June the Secretary-General appointed an interim commander of UNDOF, who arrived in Damascus, the capital of Syria that day.
The delegation operates with the same mission today.
A peacekeeper greets students at Faouar School in Syria. (document)
What does UNDOF do?
UNDOF’s mission has remained largely unchanged since 1974:
- Maintain the ceasefire between Israel and Syria
- Monitor the withdrawal of Israeli and Syrian forces
- Oversight of segregated and limited sectors, as provided for in the May 1974 Withdrawal Agreement.
Every six months, Security Council reconsidered and has expanded the force’s mandate, which is due expired on June 30, 2025.
UNDOF has two base camps. Its headquarters at Camp Faouar handles logistics and it conducts patrols day and night, intervening whenever military personnel enter or attempt to operate in the area. separate.
The force also deals with mines left over from war clearance and has established a security and maintenance program in the segregated area to identify and mark all minefields.
UNDOF is one of three United Nations peacekeeping missions in the region, responsible for monitoring ceasefires and peace agreements. The other two organizations are the United Nations Ceasefire Monitoring Organization (UNTSO), established in 1948, and the United Nations Provisional Force in Lebanon (UNIT), operating since 1978.
Members of the UNDOF Austrian Battalion Ski Patrol on Mount Hermon in 1975. (file)
What is a segregated area?
The segregated area is a demilitarized zone and is approximately 80 km long, with a width varying from 10 km in the center to less than 1 km at the southern tip, with mountainous terrain dominated in the north by Mount Hermon .
As the UN’s highest permanently staffed location, it is located at an altitude of 2,814 meters, where it often snows and peacekeepers conduct patrols using specialized winter equipment.
This area is inhabited and was previously controlled by the Syrian government. No military force other than UNDOF is allowed to operate inside this zone.
There is also a limited scope for both sides, within which limits are placed on the number and types of forces and military equipment that the parties allow.
UNDOF monitors these restrictions through biweekly inspections of military positions of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Syrian security forces by the Golan Observation Group, which includes observations military officer from UNTSO, carried out.
See UNDOF’s latest implementation map This.
UNDOF officers patrol the Golan Heights in 1974. (file)
Main challenges in the current Middle East crisis
Over the years, UNDOF has documented ceasefire violations and worked with Israeli and Syrian authorities to resolve them.
As tensions rose last year in the war in Gaza, a rocket killed 12 people in the Golan and recent rising tensions in the divided region emerged as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) moved moved into the region when Syria’s new de facto government took power early. December.
According to Major General Patrick Gauchat, interim head of UNDOF, UNDOF peacekeeping forces, with the support of UNTSO observers, remain in place before December 2024 and continue their main missions such as monitoring and patrolling the ceasefire line. summary Security Council in mid-January.
Golan residents also expressed concerns to UNDOF, calling on the IDF to leave their village amid reports of searches and arrests of their relatives. The IDF presence and barriers have also severely impacted UNDOF’s operational capacity, reducing daily convoys and affecting its freedom of movement.
A UNDOF observation post in the Golan Heights, Syria. (document)
Adapt to new realities
In light of current operational challenges, the mission has adjusted its approach.
They have now increased weekly patrols from 10 to 40 and are addressing urgent safety concerns such as neutralizing unexploded ordnance in public areas.
Meanwhile, efforts are underway to establish stable channels of communication with the authorities on the ground, explained acting head of the mission, Mr. Gauchat.
But, concerns remain.
“It is imperative that United Nations peacekeeping forces be allowed to carry out their assigned tasks without hindrance,” Mr. Gauchat told the 15-member Security Council on January 17, and called on all parties to maintain the ceasefire and respect the terms of the 1974 agreement. “We count on the continued support of Member States to return to full implementation of the mandate rights.”
Can UNDOF use force?
Correct. UNDOF peacekeepers are authorized to use force in self-defense or to protect United Nations personnel, facilities and equipment.
UNDOF operates under Chapter VI of UN Charterwhich emphasizes monitoring, observing and facilitating the implementation of peace agreements.
