Confini, territorio e conflitto. La disputa sulle Fattorie di Sheba’a (2000-2006).

Despite Globalization has favoured the growth of interdependence between countries - a phaenomenon interpreted by many scholars as sort of weakening of the Westphalian State - borders and territory continue to play a central role in the international relations. Not only are territorial disputes far from being eliminated from the international scene, but they are also the most prone to escalate in militarized conflict. Indeed, the territorial question represents a still unsolved issue between Israel, Syria and Lebanon. The Sheba’a Farms, a 14 km area in Southern Lebanon, portrays a significant case of territorial-border dispute which greatly contributed to the outbreak of Lebanon War in 2006. The conflict has now lost momentum because of the new challenges rising across the Middle East, however not only is it a relevant example of territorial dispute, but also a further reference to the difficult relationships between Israel and the Middle Eastern countries. Therefore, as a result of the inexhaustible hostilities between Israel and Hizbullah, the United Nations has continued to operate on the ground through UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) peace keeping operation. Through unpublished oral sources collected during the period of research I spent with some members of the UNIFIL mission, this works attempts to shed new and innovative light on the intertwining perspectives connected to the dispute, illustrating its origins and peculiarities.