Italy will maintain its military presence in Lebanon even after the UN peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, ends in 2026, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto announced Monday, reported AFP.
The UN Security Council voted in August to allow one final extension of UNIFIL’s mandate until December 31, 2026. The decision came after pressure from Israel and the United States to end the mission, despite Lebanon’s request to prolong it.
“Even after UNIFIL, Italy will continue to do its part, supporting with conviction the international presence and supporting the capacity development of the Lebanese armed forces,” Crosetto said during a visit to Lebanon, according to an official statement quoted by AFP.
A Defense Ministry spokesperson confirmed to the news agency that Italy intends to maintain its own military footprint in the country once the UN mandate concludes.
UNIFIL was established in 1978 to serve as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon and continued operations after Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000.
The mission is currently led by Italian Major General Diodato Abagnara and consists of 9,923 troops from 49 countries. Italy is UNIFIL’s second-largest contributor, with 1,099 soldiers, following Indonesia’s 1,232.
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.