Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix was joined by Major General Patrick Gauchat, Head of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) who is temporarily in charge of the UN force in the Golan, UNDOF.
Major General Patrick Gauchat (on screen), Head of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) and Interim Head of UNDOF, briefs the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria.
Peacekeeping activities amid restrictions
Major General Patrick Gauchat emphasised the operational difficulties his mission has encountered in maintaining its mandate amid heightened tensions in the area of separation.
“While UNDOF has had continuous contact with Syrian interlocutors throughout these recent developments, liaison by UNDOF with Syria is impacted,” he explained, noting that efforts are underway to establish stable communication channels with the de facto authorities.
UNDOF peacekeepers, supported by UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) observers, remain at their pre-December 2024 positions. They continue key tasks such as monitoring the ceasefire line and patrolling the ceasefire line.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have undertaken construction work using heavy equipment and setting up communication in the area of separation as a “temporary defensive measure,” Mr. Gauchat quoted.
UNDOF has informed its Israeli counterparts that their presence and activities in this area violate the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.
The IDF’s presence and roadblocks have severely impacted UNDOF’s operational capacity, reducing movements from 55 to 60 operations daily to just 10 essential logistics missions.
However, the mission has adapted its approach, increasing weekly patrols from 10 to 40 and addressing urgent safety concerns, such as the neutralisation of unexploded ordnance in public areas.
Local concerns, liaison efforts
Residents of the Golan have expressed concerns to UNDOF, calling for the IDF to leave their villages. Some reported instances of searches and arrests of their relatives.
UNDOF is working to understand and address these grievances through ongoing liaison efforts.
“It is imperative that the UN peacekeepers are allowed to carry out their mandated tasks without obstruction,” Mr. Gauchat stressed, urging 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 mandate implementation,” he concluded.