United Nations peacekeepers had been deployed to patrol Lebanon’s southern border with Israel in 1978 after Israel invaded south Lebanon.
The mandate for the operation — referred to as the U.N. Interim Pressure in Lebanon (UNIFIL) — is renewed yearly by the 15-member U.N. Safety Council.
Following a monthlong warfare between Israel and Lebanese militants Hezbollah in 2006, the mandate for UNIFIL was expanded when the council adopted decision 1701.