UNITED NATIONS, Aug 24: The UN Security Council on Friday renewed the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) by another year and called on all parties in the region to play their part to turn last year’s cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah into a permanent ceasefire and a more durable solution.

In a unanimous vote, Council members agreed to extend UNIFIL until Aug 31, 2008, saying the deployment of the peacekeeping mission “together with the Lebanese Armed Forces has helped to establish a new strategic environment in southern Lebanon.”

They also called on all parties to respect the cessation of hostilities and the entirety of the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon.

First created in 1978, UNIFIL’s mandate and size were enhanced last year in the wake of the deadly conflict between the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah, and Friday’s resolution urged all sides to cooperate fully with the mission and to do their utmost to respect the safety of UN personnel in the region.

In June, a UN patrol in southern Lebanon was struck by a bomb, killing six Spanish peacekeepers and seriously wounding two other blue helmets, while last month an explosion occurred near a UNIFIL vehicle but there were no casualties.