AlQa'dah 6, 1436, Aug 21, 2015, SPA-- The U.N. Security Council Friday extended the mandate of the Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for one year. In a resolution adopted unanimously, the council "strongly" called upon all parties to respect the cessation of hostilities, to prevent any violation of the Blue Line, and to respect it "in its entirety." The 15-member body urged further international support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, in areas where they are most critically in need of support, including counterterrorism and border protection. Recognizing that UNIFIL deployment, together with the Lebanese Armed Forces, has helped to establish a "new strategic environment" in southern Lebanon, the council called for further cooperation between them. The resolution also urged all parties to abide "scrupulously" by their obligation to respect the safety of UNIFIL and to ensure that the mission's freedom of movement is "fully respected and unimpeded." The Israeli government was urged to expedite the withdrawal of its army from northern Ghajar "without further delay" in coordination with UNIFIL.
