The UN Security Council on Wednesday renewed the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon for one year, and asked it to continue providing logistical support for the Lebanese armed forces for another six months, AFP reported.
The peacekeeping force, known by its acronym UNIFIL, has been in Lebanon since 1978. Composed of nearly 10,000 soldiers, it is deployed in the south of the country as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel.
At the request of the Lebanese authorities, the Security Council decided to extend its mandate until August 2023, expressing concern about "violations" of the ceasefire that ended fighting between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006 that were detailed in a report by the UN secretary-general.
The resolution adopted unanimously by the 15 members stresses in particular "the risk that violations of the cessation of hostilities could lead to a new conflict that none of the parties or the region can afford", according to AFP.
UNIFIL works to implement Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
According to the resolution, Hezbollah must not be allowed to operate in southern Lebanon and the entire area of southern Lebanon must be free of any armed personnel and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon.
UNIFIL’s mandate is extended annually by the UN Security Council.