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76-521: Spain is one of the most militarily powerful nations of the European Union ( EUFOR ) and Eurocorps . It also occupies a prominent position in the structure of NATO , which it joined in 1982. It also has the oldest Marine Infantry in the world and the oldest permanent military units in the world: the Infantry Regiment "Inmemorial del Rey" No. 1 and the Infantry Regiment "Soria" No. 9 . After

152-674: A Boeing 707 of supplies transport of the Air and Space Force . The cost of these missions abroad amounts to approximately 800 million euros per year. The commander in chief of the Armed Forces is the King of Spain ; with the ex officio rank of Capitán General in the Army, Navy and Air and Space Force. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 states in article 62(h) that the King of Spain shall have "supreme command of

228-523: A UNIFIL position were attacked by unidentified persons and one of the soldiers was shot and subsequently died. In February 1982, the force was increased by a further 1,000 troops. During the 1982 Lebanon War, commencing on 6 June 1982, Israeli forces advanced into south Lebanon. Despite being ordered to block the advance, the UN positions were either bypassed or overrun, primarily by the SLA forces under Saad Haddad. This

304-720: A few examples. Spain participated along with France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, the United States and Canada in the 2011 intervention against Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, contributing a tanker , 4 F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, a frigate , a submarine and a surveillance aircraft , along with logistical support from the Naval Station Rota and the Morón Air Base . Spain has belonged to NATO since 1982. The decision

380-509: A lack of co-operation by all parties to the conflict. There were several attacks on its personnel, including ambushes, kidnappings, shelling and sniping. As a result, only limited progress was made in fulfilment of its mandate between 1978 and 1982. During the occupation, UNIFIL's function was mainly to provide humanitarian aid amidst the Lebanese Civil War . Prior to the 1982 Lebanon War , on 2 January 1982 two Ghanaian soldiers guarding

456-624: A large number of reinforcements, up to 15,000 men, and heavy equipment. France committed to increase its complement from 400 to 2,000 men and send Leclerc heavy tanks and AMX 30 AuF1 self-propelled artillery, in addition to the forces deployed in Opération Baliste . Italy committed to deploy 3,000 troops, while Qatar offered to send between 200 and 300 troops. As the French were preparing to deploy, French commander of UNIFIL Alain Pellegrini and

532-460: A prefix depending on the nature of the mission, which is either military or civilian. Civilian missions: Military operations: The operations are named as if the multinational force conducting it is established specifically for the unique operation, which is often the case. The force may however also consist of permanent multinational forces such as the European Corps . Related topics of

608-577: A professional force with a strength in 2017 of 121,900 active personnel and 4,770 reserve personnel. The country also has the 77,000 strong Civil Guard which comes under the control of the Ministry of defense in times of a national emergency. The Spanish defense budget is 5.71 billion euros (US$ 7.2 billion) a 1% increase for 2015. The increase comes because of security concerns in the country. The Spanish Army consists of 15 active brigades and 6 military regions. Modern infantry have diverse capabilities and this

684-536: A series of important reforms in the armed forces and the economy, notably those of Charles III of Spain. Thanks to these reforms, Spain performed well during the war of Jenkins' Ear defending overseas territory, won the war of Austrian Succession but had mixed result during the Seven Years' War. Spain had also led successful campaigns in the American Revolutionary War . Spain had recovered considerably by

760-559: A smaller scale in the 1993 Operation Accountability . In 1996 south Lebanon was bombarded by the Israeli army, airforce and navy for seventeen days. According to Amnesty International during the 1996 bombardment UNIFIL compounds and vehicles came under Israeli aircraft or artillery fire 270 times. This included the shelling of the Fijian UNIFIL compound near Qana where 102 villagers sheltering were killed. In April 2000, Israel notified

836-405: A support regiment ( Regimiento de Apoyo a Emergencias ) and an aerial group ( Agrupación de Medios Aéreos ). It is responsible for providing disaster relief principally throughout Spain but also if necessary abroad. The activities including handling natural hazards such as floods and earthquakes, forest fires, chemical and nuclear accidents, and other emergency situations recognized as such by

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912-621: A total of 13% being the first empire which the Sun never sets. By the mid 17th century Spain had been militarily weakened by the Thirty Years War , the Eighty Years War along with financial problems, and the lack of reforms, though still holding firm to the bulk of the American Continent . During the 18th century the new Bourbon dynasty revived Spain's economic and military power through

988-437: Is a United Nations peacekeeping mission established on 19 March 1978 by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426 , and several further resolutions in 2006 to confirm Hezbollah demilitarisation, support Lebanese army operations against insurgents and weapon smuggling, and confirming Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon , in order to ensure that the government of Lebanon would restore its effective authority in

1064-648: Is an independent unit of the Spanish Armed Forces whose primary task is the military protection of the King of Spain and the Spanish royal family . It also protects visiting Heads of State. The Royal Guard's history dates back to medieval times , the Corps of Gentlemen of the Chamber, the " Monteros de Espinosa ", dating to 1006. It currently has a strength of 1,900 troops, constituting a fully functional combat unit drawn from

1140-588: Is at stake. Many troops, including the Finnish, Irish, Qataris and Indonesians pulled out of UNIFIL in 2007–2008. Some of these nations had been there for over 30 years (the Irish and Finnish), and one of the reasons for the withdrawal was reportedly concerns about the changing rules of engagement following the arrival of NATO forces in August 2006 and because of high-level German and French statements expressing unlimited support to

1216-765: Is directed by political bodies composed of member states ' representatives, and generally requires unanimous decisions. As of April 2019: In the EU terminology, civilian CSDP interventions are called 'missions', regardless of whether they have an executive mandate such as EULEX Kosovo or a non-executive mandate (all others). Military interventions, however, can either have an executive mandate such as for example Operation Atalanta in which case they are referred to as 'operations' and are commanded at two-star level; or non-executive mandate (e.g. EUTM Somalia ) in which case they are called 'missions' and are commanded at one-star level. Prefixes All CSDP missions and operations are given

1292-652: Is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind." On 27 August 2006, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that UNIFIL would not intercept arms shipments from Syria , unless requested to do so by Lebanon. The Maritime Task Force (MTF) is the naval component of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). As of February 2012, the MTF was under the command of Rear Admiral Wagner Lopes de Moraes Zamith of Brazil . The Brazilian frigate Constituição

1368-677: Is reflected in the varied roles assigned to them. There are four operational roles that infantry battalions can fulfil: air assault, armoured infantry, mechanised infantry, and light role infantry. Under the command of the Spanish Admiral Chief of Naval Staff , stationed in Madrid , the Spanish Navy has four area commands: The current flagship of the Spanish Navy is the amphibious assault ship /aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I . In addition,

1444-547: Is renewed annually by the United Nations Security Council ; it was most recently extended on 28 August 2024 with the passing of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2749 . It is composed of 10,000 peacekeepers from 46 nations, tasked with helping the Lebanese Army keep the south of the country protected from "unauthorized armed personnel, such as Hezbollah ". Its funding is approved on an annual basis by

1520-411: Is supported by 239 international civilian staff, including 78 women, and 583 national civilian staff, including 153 women. It is led by Spanish Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz. The UNIFIL military component also includes a contingent from Kazakhstan. The Kazakh peacekeeping forces joined the mission for the first time ever in late 2018. A total of 120 soldiers from Kazakhstan were deployed as part of

1596-587: Is the flagship of the fleet comprising vessels from Brazil , Bangladesh , Germany , Greece , Indonesia and Turkey . After the 2006 Lebanon War , the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force (MTF) was established to assist the Lebanese Naval Forces in preventing the smuggling of illegal shipments in general and armament shipments in particular. With its establishment in October 2006, the force was led by

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1672-753: The Common Security and Defence Policy : Operations and exercises of the precursors of the Common Security and Defence Policy Operations and exercises of the multinational forces made available to the CSDP in accordance with article 42.3 of the Treaty on European Union : Missions and exercises of other organisations: UNIFIL The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon ( Arabic : قوة الأمم المتحدة المؤقتة في لبنان , Hebrew : כוח האו"ם הזמני בלבנון ), or UNIFIL ( Arabic : يونيفيل , Hebrew : יוניפי״ל ),

1748-818: The EU delegations , until 2009 known as the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). The decision to deploy – together with any subsequent management of – the mission or operation in question, will ultimately be taken by the EU member states in the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC). Military operations may be launched after four planning phases, through which the Operation Commander (Op. Cdr.), Military Staff (EUMS), Military Committee (EUMC), Political and Security Committee (PSC) and Council have different roles. The EU command and control (C2) structure

1824-489: The General Assembly . It had a budget of $ 474 million for the period July 2018 to June 2019. According to its Mandate, established by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426 in 1978, UNIFIL is tasked with the following objectives: In addition, several further Security Council resolutions have reaffirmed and expanded the mission's mandate, including: Under SC Resolution 1701, UNIFIL's mandate

1900-483: The German Navy which was also the major contributor to the force. The Germans lead the MTF up until 29 February 2008 when they passed control over to EUROMARFOR – a force made up of ships from Portugal, Spain, Italy and France, of which the latter three countries sent vessels to the force in Lebanon. As of 19 June 2018 , UNIFIL employed 10,480 military personnel, including 500 women , from 41 countries. It

1976-773: The IDF has struck targets in Lebanon with artillery and drones. On 17 and 18 September 2024, Israel attacked Hezbollah members with bombs concealed inside pagers and other small electronic devices. On 20 September, an IDF airstrike hit Beirut . Similar bombardments followed throughout the rest of September. On the evening of 30 September, the IDF invaded southern Lebanon with approximately 45,000 troops, while air strikes on Beirut and other targets throughout Lebanon continued. UNIFIL forces did not intervene, and remained in their positions. On 4 October, IDF told Irish UNIFIL personnel to withdraw from one of their positions. Representatives of

2052-571: The Israeli Defense Forces with the aim of reducing tensions and allaying tension along the border. UNIFIL has played an important role in clearing landmines, assisting displaced persons and providing humanitarian assistance to civilians in the underdeveloped region of Southern Lebanon . Under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 , which passed as a result of the 2006 Lebanon War , its mandate and rules of engagement changed. The mandate changed to allow up to 15,000 personnel in order to assist

2128-661: The Lebanese Armed Forces in deploying in Southern Lebanon to implement the Lebanese government's sovereignty. The rules of engagement changed to allow the troops to open fire in certain cases: mostly in cases of self-defense but also in order to protect civilians, UN personnel and facilities. The new resolution states that UNIFIL can "take all the necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces, and as it deems with its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations

2204-724: The Second World War ( non-belligerent ), although they did intervene in the Spanish Civil War and in some colonial conflicts. After the arrival of democracy in 1978, they underwent a strong modernization process, becoming modern armed forces. In 1982 Spain entered NATO . Recently, in the last decades of the 20th century and the first decades of the 21st, Spanish troops have participated together with their Western allies in operations such as Gulf War , NATO bombing of Yugoslavia , KFOR , War on terror , 2011 military intervention in Libya , Combined Task Force 150 or UNIFIL , to name

2280-638: The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone ). They were deployed after Israel launched Operation Litani earlier in the month, in response to a cross border raid by Palestinians based in Lebanon. UNIFIL made its headquarters in Naqoura close to the Lebanese-Israeli border. The majority of the force's initial personnel were provided by Canada, Iran and Sweden with support from France, Nepal and Norway. The initial force

2356-785: The Airbus A400M Atlas airlifter. Both are manufactured with Spanish participation; EADS CASA makes the Eurofighter's right wing and leading edge slats, and participates in the testing and assembly of the airlifter. Its aerobatic display team is the Patrulla Aguila, which flies the CASA C-101 Aviojet.Its helicopter display team, Patrulla Aspa, flies the Eurocopter EC-120 Colibrí. In July 2014 the Spanish Air Force joined

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2432-562: The Armed Forces"; however under article 64, all official acts of the King must be countersigned by the President of the Government (or other competent minister) to become valid. The President of the Government (also known as Prime Minister in English translations), as the head of government , is responsible under article 97 for "domestic and foreign policy, civil and military administration and

2508-736: The Aztec Empire , the conquest of the Inca Empire and the conquest of the Philippines ensued propelling Spain to the foremost military superpower of the time. Spain was also victorious over the French in the Italian Wars , annexing southern Italy. During the reign of Charles V and Philip II, Spain reached the peak of its power with the Spanish Empire spanning 19.4 million square km of the Earth's surface,

2584-816: The Cortes Generales before sending the armed forces abroad. The Chief of the Defense Staff directs the Defense Staff and is the senior military advisor to the Minister and the Government. The military leadership of the three military services are: the Chief of Staff of the Army , the Chief of Staff of the Air and Space Force and the Chief of Staff of the Navy . The structure, and incumbents as of 2021, are: The Spanish armed forces are

2660-855: The Democratic Republic of the Congo. Spain also participated in the Iraq War between 2003 and 2004, in Gabon and in Senegal to safeguard maritime traffic in the Horn of Africa (with 33 Civil Guards and national police officers, two patrol vessels and a helicopter). In 2015, 46 UME soldiers and 12 Civil Guards of the High Mountain Group went to help and rescue in the Nepal earthquake , along with six dogs, three scientific police and

2736-584: The European Air Transport Command, headquartered at Eindhoven Airbase in the Netherlands. The Common Corps are four corps that provide professional services to all the branches of the Armed Forces and the Civil Guard. The Common Corps were created in the 1980s to unify the specialist corps of the different branches for operational reasons. The Common Corps are: The Royal Guard ( Guardia Real )

2812-552: The French regiments of driving their heavy vehicles through their two-month-old tobacco fields, which support many families. UNIFIL was also accused of having stepped up its patrols and of failing to coordinate with the Lebanese Army. In July 2010, the most serious incident occurred when the French regiments decided to carry out exercises unilaterally, without Lebanese units or other regiments. When they went into narrow alleys of Lebanese villages some residents first tried to redirect them out of their private areas. The French fired against

2888-409: The Hula area, posing a significant security risk to United Nations personnel and equipment." In order to stress the importance of implementing Security Council resolution 1701, UN Secretary-General Annan himself paid a visit to UNIFIL on the ground in August 2006. By July 2006, UNIFIL's strength had dropped to its lowest, with only 1,980 personnel deployed. Following the cease-fire, UNIFIL received

2964-452: The IDF maintained some forces in Southern Lebanon , along with the SLA, to establish a security zone to prevent attacks on Israel from Lebanon. These forces were engaged by several groups, including Hezbollah . UNIFIL's role during this time was limited to mainly manning checkpoints and undertaking patrols, as its operations were constrained by the Israeli security zone in the south. Its personnel were attacked by elements on both sides of

3040-404: The Indian battalion in Lebanon on 31 October 2018. In 2019, UNSC resolution 2485 extended the mission's mandate until August 2020 and reduced the troop ceiling from 15,000 to 13,000. In November 2019 after ten years of absence, the Polish military contingent was returned. In April 2019, the United Nations Interim Force deployed a cultural asset in Lebanon with Blue Shield International . It

3116-528: The Israeli side. From November 2009 has began withdrawal of UNIFIL the Polish military contingent. The process of withdrawing Polish forces ended on December 11, 2009, when the last units of the liquidation group left Lebanon. In 2010, a series of standoffs and clashes erupted between UNIFIL troops and Lebanese villagers in the border region. Villagers accused French peacekeepers of provocative and intrusive patrols, and of taking pictures of people inside their homes. People of Aitaroun town, Marjayoun , accused

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3192-520: The Italians. The Indonesian contingent received 12 VAB (Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé) on 17 February 2007, as the part of the second wave of shipments from the agreement between the French and Indonesian governments. Among the equipment sent with the second wave of VABs were 10 tool boxes (pioneering equipment), 10 armored vehicle radio communications units, HMG (Heavy Machine Gun) shooter shields, and 40 water jerrycans . On 16 March 2009, KRI Diponegoro , an Indonesian Sigma-class corvette joined

3268-405: The Lebanese Army. The French unit could not explain why they behaved unilaterally. Their ambassador to the UN said the civilian attack "was not spontaneous". At the request of the United Nations, 7,000 additional Lebanese soldiers were deployed to South Lebanon as approved by the Lebanese Cabinet. The 2010 Israel–Lebanon border clash occurred on 3 August 2010. It was the deadliest incident along

3344-484: The Lebanese people of protecting the Israelis. On the other hand, if UNIFIL forces were seen to favour the Lebanese, Israel would accuse UNIFIL of collaborating with Hezbollah. Post 2006, UNIFIL was deployed throughout Southern Lebanon , south of the Litani River , and primarily along the United Nations-drawn Blue Line , the border between Israel and Lebanon . Since then, the force's activities have centered around monitoring military activity between Hezbollah and

3420-426: The National Security Department of Spain (DSN), these are the current missions of the armed forces and civil guard: The Spanish Armed Forces also participated in the last few years in other missions, above all humanitarian and observation: in Albania in 1999, Mozambique in 2000, Republic of Macedonia in 2001, Haiti in 2004 and Indonesia in 2005. In 2006, Spain participated in Darfur , Sudan by sending observers, and in

3496-467: The Prime Minister of Spain. Official website Military operations of the European Union The European Union (EU) has undertaken a number of overseas missions and operations, drawing on civilian and military capabilities, in several countries across three continents (Europe, Africa and Asia), as part of its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The operation or mission in question will work in agreement and coordination with

3572-431: The Spanish military was in poor condition and political instability resulted in the loss of most of Spain's former colonies, who had rebelled against Spanish rule in the Spanish American wars of independence , except Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. These too would be lost later in the Spanish–American War . In the 20th century, the Spanish armed forces did not intervene in the First World War ( neutrality ) or in

3648-463: The UN Secretary General that it was withdrawing from south Lebanon. This process was completed by June 2000. After this, UNIFIL was able to resume its military tasks along the "Blue Line" (the UN identified line of withdrawal for the IDF) and the adjacent areas, where UNIFIL sought to maintain the ceasefire through patrols, observation from fixed positions, and close contact between Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), as well as providing humanitarian assistance to

3724-409: The UNIFIL Naval Task Force. In August 2010, two Indonesian soldiers were criticized after they escaped from clashes between Israel and Lebanon by fleeing in a taxi. The Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Ambassador Dan Gillerman , met with UNIFIL commander, Maj.-Gen. Claudio Graziano, on 15 August 2008, after Israel was accused of unilaterally violating United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 by

3800-407: The almost daily overflights of Lebanese airspace, the continued occupation of the village of Ghajar , and Israel's refusal to submit maps of areas on which it dropped cluster munitions during the 2006 Lebanese war. Following the war, British military historian John Keegan predicted that Israel would in the future invade Lebanon and continue attacking until Hezbollah's system of tunnels and bunkers

3876-459: The area. The 1978 South Lebanon conflict came in the context of Palestinian insurgency in South Lebanon and the Lebanese Civil War . The mandate had to be adjusted due to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000 . Following the 2006 Lebanon War , the United Nations Security Council enhanced UNIFIL and added additional tasks to the mandate such as aiding displaced persons. UNIFIL's mandate

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3952-458: The border since the devastating 2006 Lebanon War . The UN force stationed in southern Lebanon urged "maximum restraint" following the clashes along the so-called Blue Line , a UN-drawn border separating Lebanon from Israel. UNIFIL peacekeepers were in the area where the clashes took place. United Nations peacekeepers tried to hold off the routine Israeli tree-pruning that led to a deadly border clash with Lebanese soldiers. An Indonesian UN battalion

4028-405: The civilians, arrested a youth driving a motorcycle, and destroyed the vehicle. When other civilians saw that, they surrounded and attacked the UNIFIL French troops without any weapons. The vehicles' windows were smashed by stones from dozens of civilians of all ages, and the French commander was wounded. The French troops were forcibly disarmed by the villagers, and weapons were then handed over to

4104-447: The conflict during this time, and financial issues also hampered UNIFIL operations as some UN member states withheld funding for the operation. In 1986, the force was reorganised when France decreased its contribution to UNIFIL. There was a proposal to convert the force into an observation group around this time, although this was ultimately rejected. The period saw an Israel invasion in the 1982 Operation Peace in Galilee and another on

4180-443: The conflict, it was out of peacekeepers' hands. One former UNIFIL official explained that he has been in these situations before, and when the opposing sides are determined to shoot each other, there is nothing UNIFIL force can do. Regarding concerns about UNIFIL's neutrality, a former UNIFIL commander highlighted the importance of perception, stating that if UNIFIL forces intervened to protect IDF, UNIFIL would be accused by Hezbollah or

4256-399: The country's foreign minister, Philippe Douste-Blazy , stated that France would not intervene to disarm Hezbollah. A naval component of UNIFIL was set up to assist the Lebanese Navy as an interim measure to prevent arms proliferation to Hezbollah while the Lebanese Navy builds its capacity. For a period the force was German-led under the command of a German admiral before handing over to

4332-426: The country. The Air and Space Force operates a wide-ranging fleet of aircraft, from fighters to transport aircraft and passenger transports to helicopters. It maintains some 450 aircraft in total, of which around 130 are fighter aircraft (Eurofighter Typhoons and F-18 MLU). The Spanish Air and Space Force is replacing older aircraft in the inventory with newer ones including the recently introduced Eurofighter Typhoon and

4408-424: The defense of the State", and thus bears the ultimate responsibility before the Cortes Generales , and the Spanish electorate. The Minister of defense is in charge of running the Ministry of defense , which carries out the day-to-day administration of the forces. The President of the Government and the Minister of defense are civilians . No provision in the Constitution requires the Government to seek approval from

4484-412: The fleet consists of: 2 amphibious transport docks , 11 frigates , 3 submarines , 6 mine countermeasure vessels, 23 patrol vessels and a number of auxiliary ships. The total displacement of the Spanish Navy is approximately 220,000 tonnes. As of 2012, the Armada has a strength of 20,838 personnel. The Marines, in Spanish, Infanteria de Marina , are the marine infantry of the Spanish Navy, the oldest in

4560-441: The lighting system, and a radio repeater at UNP 1-32A base with small arms fire, according to the UN. On 10 October 2024, Israeli troops opened fire on three UNIFIL positions in South Lebanon, including UNIFIL's main base at Naqoura . Two Indonesian personnel were injured after an Israeli tank fired on an observation tower. The same day, Israel demanded the immediate withdrawal of all UNIFIL personnel located within 5 km of

4636-403: The local population. According to UNIFIL press releases, there were dozens of incidents of UN posts coming under fire during the 2006 Lebanon War . In his 21 July 2006 report about the UNIFIL activities 21 January – 18 July 2006, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan stated that "Some Hezbollah positions remained in close proximity to United Nations positions, especially in

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4712-412: The long Reconquista ending in 1492, Spain evolved into Europe's foremost power with the voyages of Christopher Columbus the same year, leading to Spain acquiring vast lands in the Americas and conquering a number of overseas civilizations in the decades to come. The period of reconquest of Iberia had ended, and now Spain entered an era of overseas conquest spearheaded by conquistadors . The conquest of

4788-424: The outbreak of the French Revolution, by 1790, the Spanish Empire was the largest empire in the world. The occupation of a great part of Spain by the French during the Napoleonic Wars resulted in Peninsular War , which was characterized by use on a large scale of guerrilla troops, made necessary by the war's devastating effect on the Spanish economy. Although victorious in the Peninsular War over Napoleonic France,

4864-414: The peacekeeping mission and the Irish government declined. Due to the intensive military operations of Israel against Hezzbolah in southern Lebanon, 150 Polish soldiers from the 9th rotation could not return to the country and had to wait in shelters until the conflict escalated. In the evening of 9 October, IDF soldiers "deliberately fired at and disabled" the video surveillance system at UNP 1-31 base,

4940-594: The ranks of all three branches of the Spanish Armed Forces: among others, a Marines company, a Paratroop company and an infantry company. Some units have served recently in Afghanistan and Bosnia. The Military Emergencies Unit ( Spanish : Unidad Militar de Emergencias ), is the most recently instituted branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, resulting from a decision of the Council of Ministers of Spain in 2005. In addition to headquarters staff ( Unidad de Cuartel General , there are five emergency intervention battalions ( Batallon de Intervención en Emergencias , BIEM),

5016-450: The security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, humanitarian workers and, without prejudice to the responsibility of the Government of Lebanon, to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence. The first UNIFIL troops deployed in the area on 23 March 1978 were reassigned from other UN peacekeeping operations in the area ( United Nations Emergency Force , the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization , and

5092-475: The two opposing forces, retreated and returned to their base, but two soldiers fell behind and briefly became isolated before the stunned and exhausted soldiers were helped by some locals. UN peacekeepers did not escape the confrontation unscathed. Local TV reported that in some cases, villagers attempted to block UNIFIL vehicles from fleeing the combat zone, demanding that they return and fight. However, current and former UNIFIL officials said that at that point in

5168-688: The world. It has a strength of 5,000 troops divided into base defense forces and landing forces. One of the three base defense battalions is stationed with each of the Navy headquarters. "Groups" (midway between battalions and regiments) are stationed in Madrid and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The Tercio (fleet — regiment equivalent) is available for immediate embarkation and based out of San Fernando. Its principal weapons include light tanks, armored combat vehicles, self-propelled artillery, and SPIKE antitank missiles. Spanish Air and Space Force currently has 10 fighter squadrons, each with 18-24 airplanes. The Air and Space Force also has 15 operational air bases around

5244-431: Was completely destroyed, as Israel would not tolerate a "zone of invulnerability" occupied by a sworn enemy, or a double threat posed by Hezbollah and Hamas rockets, and that Israel might first attack the Gaza Strip . Keegan noted that any IDF entry into Southern Lebanon would risk provoking a clash with UNIFIL, but that it is unlikely to deter Israel, as it tends to behave with "extreme ruthlessness" when national survival

5320-463: Was established at 4,000 troops. This was increased to 6,000 in May 1978. Israeli forces withdrew from the area on 13 June 1978, after which South Lebanon Army (SLA) forces under Saad Haddad remained in the area. UNIFIL began patrolling operations and established a series of positions including checkpoints, roadblocks and observation posts. UNIFIL operations during this time were hindered by restrictions that were imposed on its freedom of movement and

5396-489: Was expanded, giving it new duties: In addition, UNIFIL was also authorized to: take all necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind, to resist attempts by forceful means to prevent it from discharging its duties under the mandate of the Security Council, and to protect United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment, ensure

5472-607: Was explained by the President of Blue Shield International, Karl von Habsburg , who stated: "Cultural assets are part of the identity of the people who live in a certain place. If you destroy their culture, you also destroy their identity. Many people are uprooted, often have no prospects anymore and subsequently flee from their homeland." Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since 8 October 2023. Hezbollah has fired rockets at targets in Israel, while

5548-410: Was on the scene, and they did their best to try to prevent it, but they were unable to. Indonesian peacekeepers tried to no avail to calm the situation before the clashes erupted. The fighting increasingly intensified, so the small contingent of UNIFIL forces was ordered to retreat or find cover then report back to the base. The Indonesian contingent, under intense small arms fire and shelling between

5624-563: Was ratified in the 1986 referendum by the Spanish people. The conditions were the reduction of American military bases, non-integration of Spain in the military structure of NATO, and the prohibition of introducing nuclear weapons in Spain. As of June 2017, 3,093 soldiers of the Spanish Armed Forces and the Civil Guard are part of the nineteen operations where Spain has an active role. According to

5700-475: Was shown that cultural property protection (carried out by military and civil specialists) forms the basis for the future peaceful and economic development of a city, region or country in many conflict zones. The need for training and coordination of the military and civilian participants, including the increased involvement of the local population, became apparent especially at World Heritage Sites . The connection between cultural user disruption and causes of flight

5776-812: Was the main Lebanese paramilitary force supported by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Southern Lebanon. The UN force was overwhelmed within a day. At least one Norwegian peacekeeper was killed in the initial attack. Following this, UNIFIL focused primarily on the distribution of aid and medical support, while a new force, the Multinational Force in Lebanon assumed primacy, being deployed in Beirut until being withdrawn in March 1984. Beginning in 1985, Israel scaled back its permanent positions in Lebanon, although

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