UNIFIL says it will begin withdrawing from south Lebanon after mandate expires at end of year

Despite calls by Lebanon for the mandate of the decades-long United Nations observer force in the country’s south to be extended, UNIFIL says in a statement that it still plans to exit at the end of the year.

“Under Security Council resolution 2790 (2025), UNIFIL’s mandate in Lebanon will end on 31 December 2026. The Mission will then begin the process of its drawdown and withdrawal,” UNIFIL says.

The observer force says that until the end of its mandate, “peacekeepers from 45 countries will continue their daily operations as usual across south Lebanon, including monitoring and reporting developments, liaising with the parties, supporting the Lebanese Army, and facilitating humanitarian missions.”

“The Security Council is considering options for the period after UNIFIL’s mandate ends, including future monitoring and reporting along the Blue Line,” UNIFIL says, adding that “decisions on any future arrangements rest with the Security Council.”

Lebanese officials have warned that UNIFIL’s departure could leave a security vacuum in the south.

Israel has long accused UNIFIL of failing to fulfill its mission, pointing to Hezbollah’s construction of extensive military infrastructure near the Israeli border over the decades of its operation.