July 2013, The Golan

For almost four decades, Austrian soldiers deployed as UN blue helmets patrolled the Golan Heights. In 1967, Israel occupied the region on the border with Syria, but with little to no international recognition. The United Nations introduced a buffer zone in 1974. Nevertheless, there was regular fighting in the region, especially as Lebanon also borders onto it. When civil war broke out in Syria and started costing more and more lives, many countries withdrew their troops because of the dangerous situation. In 2013, Austria also ended its UN deployment, and 387 soldiers returned home. In 2018, the mission once again came under the spotlight when a video from 2012 became public, calling into question the role, responsibility and operational capacities of the Austrian blue helmets.