The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote Monday on a possible extension of the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The 15 permanent and non-permanent members of the Council began discussions last week on a draft resolution aimed at renewing the mandate of some 10,800 peacekeepers.
The text of the resolution proposes extending UNIFIL’s presence until 31 August 2026, while expressing the Council’s “intention to work toward a withdrawal of UNIFIL, with the objective that only the Lebanese government ensures security in the south” of the country.
Last Tuesday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called for maintaining the peacekeepers, arguing that “any limitation of UNIFIL’s mandate (…) would have a negative impact on the situation, as the Zionist entity continues to occupy parts of Lebanese territory.”
The draft resolution also calls on Zionist forces to “withdraw from the north of the Blue Line (the United Nations demarcation established in 2000), including five positions held on Lebanese territory.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, deemed the support provided by UNIFIL to the Lebanese army as “crucial,” noting that it had facilitated the deployment of 8,300 Lebanese soldiers, as well as providing logistical assistance, funds, fuel, and training.
“We have always felt that UNIFIL’s presence brought stability along the Blue Line,” the diplomat said.
(APS)
