Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro completes his mandate as head of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

• He hands over UNIFIL to Italian General Diodato Abagnara

Handover ceremony at the head of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Spanish Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro, in office since February 2022, hands over to Italian General Diodato Abagnara, who will be in charge of directing and supervising the work of more than 10,000 military personnel from 49 countries under UN mandate.

During his speech at the handover ceremony, Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro took stock of his three and a half years at the helm of UNIFIL, a period in which the mission has faced one of its most complicated moments "now that I am preparing to hand over the command, I do so with the feeling of having done my duty and with great confidence in the future of this mission. I have been privileged to lead a team that has persevered through one of the most difficult periods in UNIFIL's history.

It also stressed that "although at present the cessation of hostilities remains fragile, it offers an opportunity to move forward. With the current regional tensions, our efforts are focused on containing the escalation, strengthening stability and creating the conditions for a lasting political solution".

Lieutenant General Aroldo Lazaro concluded by stressing his full confidence that his successor "at a critical time for the mission will lead it with honour, wisdom and determination. He also had words of thanks to "Lebanese leaders, both civilian and military, for their cooperation throughout my tenure. In particular, I thank the Lebanese armed forces for their strong cooperation. I also extend my thanks to religious and community leaders for promoting dialogue, and to the people of southern Lebanon for their resilience and the respect they have shown for our peacekeepers. UNIFIL's mission is based on partnership, and your support has been essential to our common pursuit of peace and stability.

UNIFIL, 47 years working for stability in Lebanon

UNIFIL was created in March 1978 to verify Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory, restore international peace and security, and assist the Government of Lebanon in re-establishing its authority in the area.

This mandate was modified in 2006, when the UN Security Council asked the mission to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and the armed group Hezbollah and to support the Lebanese Armed Forces during their deployment in southern Lebanon.

Clashes between Israel and Hezbollah resumed after the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023, which led the UN mission, under the command of Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro, to increase self-protection measures for its deployed personnel. These were difficult times for UNIFIL's work in the region as hostilities prevented them from continuing with their mandated tasks.

During this last period, the mission has been adapting to the new vicissitudes that have arisen. Now, the new UNIFIL Commander, General Abagnara, faces the challenge of returning to a situation of stability that allows the Blue Helmets to carry out the mandated tasks to them in order to monitor the areas under their responsibility without restrictions.