UN says Israeli tanks burst through gates of peacekeeper base

[Mosby]

30. Hezbollah is part of the government of Lebanon

They have been for a long time, multiple decades.

Your understanding of 1701 is incorrect, to wit:

UN Security Council Resolution 1701 mandates that UNIFIL's main responsibility is to confirm the disarming of Hezbollah and to prevent further hostilities in southern Lebanon. However, despite this mandate, Hezbollah has significantly expanded its military presence over the years.

Here's some of the relevant text from 1701 and meeting notes.

Section 11 spells out the role of UNIFIL:

Decides, in order to supplement and enhance the force in numbers, equipment, mandate and scope of operations, to authorize an increase in the force strength of UNIFIL to a maximum of 15,000 troops, and that the force shall, in addition to carrying out its mandate under resolutions 425 and 426 (1978):


(a) Monitor the cessation of hostilities;


(b) Accompany and support the Lebanese armed forces as they deploy throughout the South, including along the Blue Line, as Israel withdraws its armed forces from Lebanon as provided in paragraph 2;


(c) Coordinate its activities related to paragraph 11 (b) with the Government of Lebanon and the Government of Israel;


(d) Extend its assistance to help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations and the voluntary and safe return of displaced persons;


(e) Assist the Lebanese armed forces in taking steps towards the establishment of the area as referred to in paragraph 8;


(f) Assist the Government of Lebanon, at its request, to implement paragraph 14;

Obviously "accompany and support the Lebanese armed forces" is a lot more than observing, they were there to actively support the Goverment army, which is why the resolution calls for increasing troop size and armament.

Here's UN SecGen Kofi Annan:

Now, UNIFIL faces a new task, perhaps even more difficult and dangerous than its previous one. It must be robust and effective, and ensure that no vacuum is left between the Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of Lebanese forces”, he said. Obviously, if it was to carry out its new mandate, it needed to be augmented with the utmost urgency, and provided with sophisticated military capabilities.


“The Council cannot afford to relax for one minute”, he said, urging its members to consult closely, and at once, with both existing and potential troop contributors, with a view to generating the additional forces needed as quickly as possible, “before the situation on the ground once again spins out of control”. He urged the Council to make sure the forces had the equipment they needed. He also appealed to all potential donors to respond swiftly to requests from the Lebanese Government for financial help, as it struggled to reconstruct its devastated country.

Why would Kofi Annan say that UNIFIL needs "sophisticated military capabilities" moniss? You don't need that to "observe".

UNSCR 1701

Eta UNSCR 245 (1978)

Decides, in the light of the request of the Government of Lebanon, to establish immediately under its authority a United Nations interim force for Southern Lebanon for the purpose of confirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces, restoring international peace and security and assisting the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area, the Force to be composed of personnel drawn from Member States;

Pretty sure they weren't expected to "restore international peace and security" with words, lol.