Lebanon UN to pull out peace force at end of next year

The UN security council has voted to extend the body's peacekeeping mission in Lebanon for a further 16 months, but ordered it to finish at the end of 2026 under Israeli and US pressure.

- William Christou

UNSC members voted unanimously on Thursday to extend the mandate for the UN interim force in Lebanon (Unifil) before it expires tomorrow, prompting relief from Lebanese officials who rely on it.

The resolution said Unifil would begin an "orderly and safe withdrawal" of its 10,800 peacekeepers from Lebanon in December 2026.

The planned withdrawal will bring an end to the peacekeeping mission, which has lasted almost half a century. Initially created in 1978 to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from south Lebanon, Unifil's soldiers patrol the shared border between Israel and Lebanon.

The force has had the task of monitoring and reporting violations of the November ceasefire between Hezbollah and Lebanon, so the Lebanese army can enforce the terms of the agreement.

Thursday's UN resolution said it aimed to make the Lebanese government "the sole provider of security" in south Lebanon, and called for Israel to withdraw its forces.