UN debates future withdrawal of Lebanon peacekeeping force

The United Nations Security Council has begun to debate a resolution drafted by France to extend the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon for a year with the ultimate aim to withdraw it.

Israel and the United States have reportedly opposed the renewal of the force’s mandate, and it is unclear if the draft text has backing from Washington, which wields a veto on the Council.

A US State Department spokesman says, “We don’t comment on ongoing UN Security Council negotiations,” as talks continue on the fate of the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed since 1978 to separate Lebanon and Israel.

The text, first reported by Reuters, would “extend the mandate of UNIFIL until August 31, 2026” but “indicates its intention to work on a withdrawal of UNIFIL.”

That would be on the condition that Lebanon’s government is the “sole provider of security in southern Lebanon… and that the parties agree on a comprehensive political arrangement.”

Under a truce that ended a recent war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, Beirut’s army has been deploying in south Lebanon and dismantling the terror group’s infrastructure there.

Lebanon has been grappling with the thorny issue of disarming Hezbollah, with the cabinet this month tasking the army with developing a plan to do so by the end of the year. The Iran-backed group has pushed back.

Under the truce, Israel was meant to completely withdraw from Lebanon, though it has kept forces in several areas it deems strategic and continues to carry out strikes across Lebanon. Israel’s forces have also had tense encounters with the UN blue helmets.

The draft resolution under discussion also “calls for enhanced diplomatic efforts to resolve any dispute or reservation pertaining to the international border between Lebanon and Israel.”

A vote of the 15-member council is expected on August 25 before the expiration of the force’s mandate at the end of the month.