Argentina to pull its troops out of UNIFIL force in Lebanon

Members of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol the southern Lebanese Marjayoun district, near the border with Israel, on October 16, 2024. (AFP)
Members of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol the southern Lebanese Marjayoun district, near the border with Israel, on October 16, 2024. (AFP)

Argentina has notified the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon of its withdrawal from the force, a UNIFIL spokesperson says, in the first sign of cracks in the unity of the mission amid an escalation in violence along the border.

“Argentina has asked its officers to go back [to Argentina],” UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti says in response to a question about a newspaper report.

He declines to comment on the reason for their departure, referring the question to Argentina’s government.

Argentina is one of 48 countries contributing peacekeepers to UNIFIL, with a total of three staff currently in Lebanon, a UN website shows.

UNIFIL has previously referred to “unacceptable pressures being exerted on the mission through various channels.” The peacekeeping body has blamed attacks on its troops on both Israel and Hezbollah in recent weeks.

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