The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Thursday to terminate the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon at the end of next year after nearly five decades, bowing to demands from the United States and its close ally Israel.
The United States, which initially demanded that the force be ended in six months and later sought a one-year final extension, voted in favor of a final 16-month mandate to continue its activities near Lebanon’s UN-drawn border with Israel.
The multinational peacekeeping force has played a significant role in monitoring the security situation in southern Lebanon for decades, including during the Israel-Hezbollah war last year, but it has drawn criticism from both sides and numerous US lawmakers, some of whom now hold prominent roles in President Donald Trump’s administration or wield new influence with the Republican White House.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion. Its mission was expanded following the monthlong 2006 war between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.
The resolution gives the force, known as UNIFIL, a year starting on Dec. 31, 2026, to withdraw its 10,800 military and civilian personnel and all UN equipment. During this period, UNIFIL was authorized to carry out a few limited activities.
The resolution says the aim is to make the Lebanese government “the sole provider of security” in southern Lebanon north of the UN-drawn border with Israel known as the Blue Line. It calls on Israel to withdraw its forces from north of the Blue Line.
Trump administration political appointees came into office wanting to shut down UNIFIL as soon as possible and have secured major cuts in US funding for the force.
They regard the operation as a waste of money that is merely delaying the goal of eliminating Hezbollah’s influence and restoring full security control to the Lebanese armed forces. The government says its forces are not yet capable of assuming full control.
European nations, notably France and Italy, objected to winding down UNIFIL too quickly. They argued that ending the peacekeeping mission before the Lebanese army was able to fully secure the border area would create a vacuum Hezbollah could easily exploit.
During the one-year withdrawal period, the resolution says, UNIFIL is authorized to provide security and assistance to UN personnel, “to maintain situational awareness in the vicinity of UNIFIL locations,” and to contribute to the protection of civilians and the safe delivery of humanitarian aid “within the limits of its capacities.”
The resolution urges the international community “to intensify its support, including equipment, material and finance” to the Lebanese armed forces.
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