What’s UNDOF? Why UN peacekeepers patrol the Israel-Syria border
January 25, 2025
The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) is a peacekeeping force established by the United Nations Security Council in 1974 to supervise the ceasefire between Israel and Syria after the Yom Kippur War. UNDOF’s mandate has been renewed every six months since then.
UNDOF is headquartered in Camp Faouar, in the Golan Heights, and has a strength of approximately 1,000 military personnel from Austria, Canada, Croatia, India, Ireland, Japan, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, and the Philippines.
UNDOF’s main tasks are to:
- Monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Syria
- Supervise the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces
- Patrol the area of separation between the two countries
- Investigate any violations of the ceasefire
UNDOF has been successful in maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria for over 40 years. However, the force has also been the target of attacks by both sides. In 2013, six UNDOF peacekeepers were killed in an attack by Syrian rebels.
Despite the challenges, UNDOF remains an important peacekeeping force in the Middle East. The force plays a vital role in maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria and preventing the outbreak of renewed hostilities.
Additional information
- UNDOF is the only UN peacekeeping force that operates on the territory of two countries without their consent.
- The area of separation between Israel and Syria is known as the “Golan Heights.”
- The Golan Heights were captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War.
- Israel has annexed the Golan Heights, but the annexation is not recognized by the international community.
- The Golan Heights are a strategic area that overlooks both Israel and Syria.
- The presence of UNDOF in the Golan Heights helps to prevent the outbreak of renewed hostilities between Israel and Syria.
What’s UNDOF? Why UN peacekeepers patrol the Israel-Syria border
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