UN To End Peacekeeping Mission In Lebanon By 2026 After US, Israel Push

2025-08-28 03:13:30

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The United Nations Security Council on Thursday voted unanimously to terminate its peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon at the end of 2026, ending nearly five decades of operations after sustained pressure from the United States and Israel.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was established in 1978 to oversee Israel's withdrawal following its invasion of southern Lebanon and was expanded after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. Currently comprising about 10,800 military and civilian personnel, the mission has long played a key role in monitoring tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, known as the Blue Line.

Under the resolution, UNIFIL's mandate will expire in December 2026. Withdrawal of troops, equipment, and personnel is to begin immediately in coordination with the Lebanese government and completed within a year. The plan envisions the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) becoming the“sole provider of security” in the south, while also calling on Israel to pull its troops from north of the Blue Line.

The mission has faced criticism from both sides of the conflict, as well as from US lawmakers who argued UNIFIL failed to curb Hezbollah's presence in the region. Trump administration officials, long skeptical of the operation, slashed US funding and pushed for its closure, branding it ineffective and costly.

However, European members of the Council, including France and Italy, opposed an abrupt exit. They warned that winding down UNIFIL too quickly could leave a dangerous security vacuum that Hezbollah might exploit, particularly as Lebanon's army remains under-equipped to secure the border area independently.

During the one-year drawdown period, UNIFIL will retain limited authority to protect UN personnel, provide security around its installations, assist in humanitarian efforts, and ensure situational awareness in southern Lebanon.

The resolution also urges international donors to step up financial and material support for the Lebanese Armed Forces to enable a smooth transition.

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