The United Nations Security Council has unanimously extended “for a final time” the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon until the end of the year 2026.
The UN interim force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), established in 1978, patrols Lebanon’s southern border with Israel. The 15-member council on Thursday adopted a France-backed resolution after a compromise was reached with the United States. The resolution urges “UNIFIL to cease all its operations on December 31, 2026, and from this date, it is requested to start reducing the active-duty peacekeepers within one year.”
However, for one more year, the resolution said, UNIFIL is authorised to extend security operations and assistance to UN personnel “to maintain situational awareness in the vicinity of UNIFIL locations”. The resolutions authorise the blue helmets to protect civilians and ensure safe delivery and distribution of the Humanitarian aid “within their capacities”.
The resolution urges the international community “to intensify its support, including equipment, material and finance” to the Lebanese armed forces. The United States’ acting Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, said, “This is the last time that her country has extended support to the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon.”
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"The security environment in Lebanon is radically different from just one year ago, creating the space for Lebanon to assume greater responsibility," she told the council.
Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun last week requested the UN peacekeepers to remain, arguing that curtailing UNIFIL's mandate "will negatively impact the situation in the south, which still suffers from Israeli occupation."
France has constantly expressed support for the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon, arguing that removing blue helmets from the country’s south would create a security vacuum, leaving room for Israel and Hezbollah to exploit it.
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