Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on August 27, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe UN Security Council extends the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon until 2026, planning a phased withdrawal to enhance Lebanon's security.
By Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -The United Nations Security Council will vote on Thursday to extend a long-running peacekeeping mission in Lebanon until the end of 2026, when the operation will then begin a year-long "orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal," diplomats said.
The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), established in 1978, patrols Lebanon's southern border with Israel. The mandate for the operation is renewed annually, and its current authorization expires on August 31.
The 15-member council is set to adopt a French draft resolution after a compromise was reached with the United States, a veto-wielding council member who told a closed-door meeting last week that UNIFIL should only be extended for one final year, said diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The draft text "requests UNIFIL to cease its operations on 31 December 2026 and to start from this date and within one year its orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal of its personnel, in close consultation with the Government of Lebanon with the aim of making Lebanon Government the sole provider of security in southern Lebanon."
UNIFIL's mandate was expanded in 2006, following a month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah, to allow peacekeepers to help the Lebanese army keep parts of the south free of weapons or armed personnel other than those of the Lebanese state.
That has sparked friction with Hezbollah, which effectively controls southern Lebanon despite the presence of the Lebanese army. Hezbollah is a heavily armed party that is Lebanon's most powerful political force.
The United States brokered a truce in November between Lebanon and Israel following more than a year of conflict sparked by the war in Gaza.
The U.S. is now seeking to promote a plan for Hezbollah's disarmament. Washington is linking the plan to a phased Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, while also promoting a U.S.- and Gulf-backed economic development zone in Lebanon's south aimed at reducing Hezbollah's reliance on Iranian funding.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Nia Williams)
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was established to patrol Lebanon's southern border with Israel and assist the Lebanese army in keeping parts of the south free of weapons or armed personnel.
UNIFIL is requested to cease its operations on 31 December 2026, after which it will begin an orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal of its personnel.
UNIFIL's mandate was expanded in 2006 following a war between Israel and Hezbollah, allowing peacekeepers to help the Lebanese army maintain security in the south.
The U.S. is promoting a plan for Hezbollah's disarmament, linking it to a phased Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
The U.S. brokered a truce between Lebanon and Israel in November, influenced by the ongoing conflict sparked by the war in Gaza.
Explore more articles in the Headlines category
