United Nations Disengagement Observer Force in the Middle East

On 31 May Israel and Syria signed an agreement to cease fire, separate their armies on the Golan Heights and repatriate wounded and other prisoners-of-war held by either side. In accordance with the terms of the agreement the Security Council immediately set up a UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) to supervise the implementation of the agreement for an initial period of 6 months. The 1200-men force became operational on 6 June. By 26 June 1974 the four phases of the disengagement agreement had been completed smoothly and on schedule and the new UN force had taken up positions in a buffer zone extending from Mt. Hermon in the north to the Jordanian border in the south. The force is made up of some 90 observers from the UN Trace Supervision Organization (UNTSO), which has been serving in the area since the truce of 1948, and some 500 Austrians, 350 Peruvians and 250 Canadian and Polish Logistics personnel formerly serving with the UN Emergency Force (UNEF) established in October 1973 to observe the cease fire between Israel and Egypt and supervise the disengagement of forces agreement reached by those two countries in January 1974.
A view of UNDOF Position 36A, located near the village of Arne in Syria. Members of the Austrian battalion took up this position during phase l of the disengagement of forces. In the background is the 2314 metre Mt. Hermon which is occupied by Israeli forces.