Rome extends presence despite failures, while Israel alone confronts Hezbollah terror enabled by regional appeasement.
Italy has announced it will maintain a military presence in Lebanon even after the UNIFIL mission ends in 2026, underscoring the persistence of international involvement in a theater long exploited by Hezbollah terror. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto confirmed the decision during an official visit to Lebanon, according to AFP.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon is scheduled to conclude on December 31, 2026, following a UN Security Council vote allowing only one final extension. The decision came after sustained pressure from Israel and the United States, both of which argued the mission had failed to restrain Hezbollah or enforce its mandate. Lebanon, backed by sympathetic Arab states, unsuccessfully sought to prolong the mission.
Despite UNIFIL’s documented ineffectiveness, Crosetto stated that Italy would continue supporting “international presence” and assisting the Lebanese Armed Forces—an institution widely criticized for its inability or unwillingness to challenge Hezbollah’s dominance.
UNIFIL, established in 1978 as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon, currently fields nearly 10,000 troops from 49 countries and is commanded by Italian Major General Diodato Abagnara. Italy remains the mission’s second-largest contributor, with over 1,000 soldiers deployed.
Israel’s concerns were validated in October 2024, when the Israel Defense Forces revealed that Hezbollah had launched rockets and missiles from terrorist compounds embedded near UNIFIL positions. These attacks killed two Israeli soldiers and exposed how Hezbollah cynically uses UN cover to shield terror infrastructure.
While Israel issued advance warnings and took measures to protect peacekeepers during retaliatory strikes, UNIFIL nevertheless accused Israel of targeting its forces—further highlighting the mission’s moral inversion. As Arab regimes and international actors continue to look away, Israel remains the only power willing to confront Hezbollah’s militarization of southern Lebanon head-on.
