UN to end Lebanon peacekeeping mission next year after Israeli and US pressure

"The UN security council has voted to extend the body's peacekeeping mission in Lebanon for a further 16 months, but ordered it finished at the end of 2026 under Israeli and US pressure. UNSC members voted unanimously on Thursday to extend the mandate for the UN interim force in Lebanon (Unifil) ahead of its expiration on Sunday, prompting relief from Lebanese officials who rely on it. The approved resolution said Unifil would begin an orderly and safe withdrawal of its 10,800 peacekeepers from Lebanon in December 2026."

"Initially created in 1978 to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from south Lebanon, Unifil's soldiers patrol the shared border between Israel and Lebanon. The force has been tasked with monitoring and reporting violations of the November ceasefire between Hezbollah and Lebanon, so the Lebanese army can enforce the terms of the agreement. Unifil troops patrol a position formerly held by Hezbollah in the Khraibeh valley, southern Lebanon."

"Thursday's UN resolution said it aimed to make the Lebanese government the sole provider of security in south Lebanon, and called for Israel to withdraw its forces. Israel has continued to occupy at least five points in south Lebanon and carry out hundreds of airstrikes in violation of the ceasefire, which it said were done to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its military infrastructure. The vote came after months of pressure by the Israeli and US governments, who have made ending the Unifil mission a priority."

The UN Security Council extended the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) mandate for 16 months and ordered an orderly withdrawal beginning December 2026. The withdrawal will remove about 10,800 peacekeepers and end a more than 47-year mission that began in 1978 to oversee Israeli troop withdrawals. Unifil currently patrols the Israel–Lebanon border and monitors violations of the November ceasefire so the Lebanese army can enforce the agreement. The resolution calls for the Lebanese government to become the sole security provider in south Lebanon and urges Israel to withdraw forces. Israel has continued to occupy several points in the south and conduct airstrikes. The United States and Israel pressured for the mission’s end.

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