United Nations peacekeeping officials pressed the Security Council to begin negotiations on the future of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon as Beirut pushes to extend its mandate before the mission expires on December 31, 2026, with military friction persisting along the southern border.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, traveled to Beirut on Wednesday and urged the UN Security Council to launch formal talks on what comes next for the mission before the year ends, as top Lebanese officials stepped up diplomatic efforts to prevent a security vacuum in the country’s south by demanding an extension of the international peacekeeping mandate.
The peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, has maintained a presence in southern Lebanon since 1978 following the Israeli invasion of the region. Its responsibilities expanded substantially after the 2006 war under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 to monitor the cessation of hostilities, assist the Lebanese army in deploying south of the Litani River, and patrol the Blue Line.
Lebanese Leaders Press for UNIFIL Extension
Lebanese leaders warned that losing the international buffer would strip the region of outside monitoring and expose the border to renewed escalation.
President Joseph Aoun told Almodon that its withdrawal will create a security vacuum and deprive the region of international oversight over what is happening there,
emphasizing that the continuation of Israeli attacks and the occupation of southern villages and towns make its presence critically important.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam emphasized during his discussions that Lebanon needs an international force capable of handling communication, reporting, and observation tasks. While maintaining that any future mandate must originate from the Security Council, Salam noted that Beirut remains open to alternative international arrangements.
Lacroix acknowledged that Secretary-General António Guterres had laid out several options for the Security Council regarding the mission’s future, drawn from consultations with Beirut. However, the UN official noted that member states in New York had not yet taken concrete action on those proposals.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix told Asharq that these proposals are on the Security Council table. No movements have taken place in the council yet, but I believe that negotiations will start… soon and seriously.
Security Council Timeline and Diplomatic Friction Over the Mandate
The push to resolve the mission’s future follows a Security Council vote in August 2025 to terminate the mandate on December 31, 2026, under U.S. pressure, clearing the way for a gradual, orderly withdrawal over the subsequent year. European capitals, particularly France and Italy, have expressed concern over the impending exit and floated alternative multinational arrangements.
Diplomatic sources cited by local reporting indicate that Washington has maintained a firm stance against extending the existing mandate despite European proposals to modify the force’s tasks. Roughly 7,500 peacekeepers from about 50 countries currently occupy approximately 50 positions across southern Lebanon.
Lebanon Seeks to Keep International Force to Prevent Miscalculation
Speaker Nabih Berri emphasized that a unified official consensus exists across Lebanon’s political establishment to keep the international force in place.
Lacroix noted that the presence of both Israeli forces and Lebanese troops within the same geographic zone creates a danger of miscalculation. The UN mission continues to operate a dedicated hotline to manage friction between the two sides, a function UN officials argue is indispensable while Israeli troops remain stationed inside southern territory.
