The UN Security Council unanimously extended UNIFIL’s mandate until 2026, but Israel and the U.S. say the peacekeepers have failed to curb Hezbollah’s growing military threat.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday hailed the United Nations Security Council’s unanimous decision to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) through December 31, 2026, before the force officially disbands.
The move followed a French-drafted resolution passed by all 15 Council members just days before UNIFIL’s mandate was due to expire. The resolution stipulates that the mission — first deployed in 1978 — will begin a gradual drawdown of personnel within a year, leading to a full withdrawal at the end of 2026.
Speaking with French President Emmanuel Macron, Aoun described the decision as a product of “broad international consensus” and said it represented a “significant step forward” in allowing the Lebanese Army to fully secure Lebanon’s borders. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also welcomed the outcome, praising the constructive engagement of all Security Council members.
UNIFIL’s original mandate was to act as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon, enforcing Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War and called for southern Lebanon to remain free of armed groups other than the Lebanese military.
But Israel and the U.S. have long dismissed UNIFIL as toothless, accusing it of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah’s massive arms buildup right under its nose.
Tensions flared in October 2024, when the IDF reported that 25 rockets and missiles were launched at Israeli towns and troops from Hezbollah positions embedded near UNIFIL posts. One attack killed two IDF soldiers. In retaliation, Israel struck Hezbollah compounds near UNIFIL locations, warning peacekeepers to vacate beforehand. Despite the precautions, UNIFIL accused Israel of deliberately targeting its forces — further straining relations.
Critics in Jerusalem argue that UNIFIL’s presence has not only failed to curb Hezbollah but has inadvertently provided the terror group with cover, as its fighters embed themselves near peacekeeping posts to shield their operations from Israeli strikes.
The extension marks UNIFIL’s final mandate, setting the stage for a historic end to nearly five decades of peacekeeping in southern Lebanon — and raising pressing questions over whether the Lebanese Army will be capable of restraining Hezbollah once the UN leaves.
