UN Security Council extends mandate of peacekeeping force on Golan Heights

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday renewed the mandate of the world body's peacekeeping force on the Golan Heights.

In a resolution, the council decided to extend the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), tasked to maintain a cease-fire between the Israeli and Syrian forces since 1974, for six months, till June 30, 2018.

Resolution 2394 calls on both Israel and Syria to exercise "maximum restraint" and prevent any breaches of the cease-fire and the area of separation.

It underscores that there should be no military activity of any kind in the area of separation, including military operations by the Syrian government troops and by Syrian armed opposition groups.

It urges UN member states to convey strongly to the Syrian armed opposition groups in UNDOF's area of operations that UNDOF remains an impartial entity and to halt all activities that endanger UN peacekeepers on the ground and to accord the United Nations personnel on the ground the freedom to carry out their mandate safely and securely.

The resolution calls on all parties to cooperate fully with the operations of UNDOF, to respect its privileges and immunities and to ensure its freedom of movement, as well as the security of and unhindered and immediate access for the UN personnel carrying out their mandate.

UNDOF was established in May 1974 following the agreed disengagement of the Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights. Since then, the mission has remained in the area to maintain the cease-fire between the Israeli and Syrian forces and to supervise the implementation of the disengagement agreement.

The situation in UNDOF's area of operations had been quiet until the spillover of the Syrian civil war in 2012. Enditem