UN Peacekeeping Chief Highlights Unresolved Questions as Lebanon Force Nears End

The mandate for the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, is set to expire at the end of 2024, concluding a nearly 50-year presence and leaving significant unresolved questions regarding its successor, according to the UN's peacekeeping chief.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Undersecretary-General for Peace Operations, stated during a visit to Beirut that Lebanese authorities have expressed a unanimous desire to maintain a UN presence to monitor violations and de-escalate tensions between Israeli and Lebanese forces. However, Lebanese officials have so far been unsuccessful in securing an extension of UNIFIL’s current mandate.

Several options for a potential successor force are being considered, but "no decision has been made so far about what kind of U.N. presence, if anything, after UNIFIL," Lacroix said. He anticipates that negotiations will commence soon in the UN Security Council, with a decision expected before the current mandate concludes.

The UN Security Council voted in August 2025 to terminate UNIFIL’s mandate at the end of 2026, a decision influenced by demands from the United States and Israel, which had accused the force of failing to prevent Hezbollah's military buildup in southern Lebanon. The security situation in the region has deteriorated substantially since then, particularly with the outbreak of renewed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in March.

While a ceasefire is in place, Israel has occupied a significant area of southern Lebanon and continues to conduct strikes targeting Hezbollah facilities, which have also resulted in the destruction of numerous homes. The Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has not disarmed, raising concerns about potential renewed hostilities.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun indicated after meeting with Lacroix that the withdrawal of the peacekeeping force "would create a vacuum with negative repercussions for the security situation in the region and leave the area without any international oversight of unfolding events."

The European Union has proposed a new "support mission" for Lebanon, but this initiative would focus on training the Lebanese army and security forces and would not fulfill UNIFIL's role in patrolling or monitoring border violations. A small unarmed UN observer force, UNTSO, is expected to remain after UNIFIL's departure.

Lacroix raised concerns about the operational capabilities of UNTSO without the protective environment typically provided by a UN military presence. UNIFIL also plays a crucial role in escorting aid convoys and facilitating civilian movement within areas occupied by Israel, a function that remains unclear who would assume.

Furthermore, UNIFIL has been instrumental in maintaining liaison and de-confliction between Israeli and Lebanese soldiers to prevent unintended escalation. Established in 1978 to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops, UNIFIL's mission was expanded after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah to monitor compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

Following a ceasefire in 2024, UNIFIL was part of a monitoring mechanism that included the U.S., France, Lebanon, and Israel, but this effort faltered, especially after the latest conflict erupted in March.

Currently, UNIFIL comprises approximately 7,500 peacekeepers from 46 countries, a reduction from its peak of around 10,000. The force will have one year to complete its withdrawal operations once its mandate ends.