The United Nations Security Council began a contentious debate on Monday over the future of its peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, with France proposing a resolution that would extend the mandate of the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for one year while signaling a long-term goal for its complete withdrawal, according to the AFP news agency.
The proposal has been met with reported opposition from Israel and the United States, who are dissatisfied with the force's chronic failure to disarm the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah.
The French draft resolution, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters and AFP, would "extend the mandate of UNIFIL until August 31, 2026" but also "indicates its intention to work on a withdrawal of UNIFIL."
This move to eventually end the mission is conditional on Lebanon's government becoming the "sole provider of security in southern Lebanon... and that the parties agree on a comprehensive political arrangement."
UNIFIL acts as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel and operates near the border. One of its tasks is 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 in August by the UN Security Council.
Israel and the US have long argued that UNIFIL has been a largely ineffective presence. The peacekeepers have repeatedly been accused of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah's massive military build-up, and their presence has at times been seen as an impediment to Israeli security operations.
In October of 2024, the IDF revealed that approximately 25 rockets and missiles had been launched at Israeli communities and IDF troops from Hezbollah’s terrorist compounds embedded near UNIFIL posts in southern Lebanon, exploiting their proximity to UN forces. One of the attacks resulted in the deaths of two IDF soldiers.
As a result of these attacks, the IDF conducted strikes near UNIFIL posts, making sure to warn the peacekeepers beforehand and requesting that they vacate the posts. Nevertheless, UNIFIL accused Israel of deliberately targeting its peacekeepers.
The US State Department has yet to comment on the matter, leaving the fate of the resolution in question given Washington's veto power on the Council.