UNIFIL Nearing Departure as UN Security Council Sets End Date for Mission in Lebanon

A delegation from the United Nations Security Council concluded a two-day visit to Beirut with a press conference addressing Lebanon’s evolving political and security landscape.

During the visit, the delegation held high-level meetings with Lebanon’s top officials, including the President, the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The discussions focused on a comprehensive evaluation of the political tensions and security challenges facing the country.

As part of their mission, the delegation traveled to south Lebanon, where they visited the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura. They met with the mission’s leadership and reviewed UNIFIL’s responsibilities, operational mechanisms, and field activities.

The delegation also conducted an inspection tour along the Blue Line, the UN-demarcated ceasefire line between Lebanon and Israel established under Security Council Resolution 1701. UNIFIL has long been tasked with monitoring this line and ensuring adherence to the ceasefire arrangement.

According to UN officials, the central focus of the visit was the future of UNIFIL following the Security Council’s recent decision to end the mission’s mandate by the end of 2026—a development that leaves roughly one year before the mission’s scheduled withdrawal.

The decision has raised major questions in Beirut about how Resolution 1701 will be upheld without an international peacekeeping presence in the south.

Lebanon has reportedly expressed its desire to maintain a form of international presence in the region, whether through an extension of UNIFIL’s mandate or the deployment of an alternative force. Meanwhile, the Security Council continues to examine potential options.

A forthcoming UN report, expected in the coming months, will assess UNIFIL’s performance and outline possible scenarios for the mission’s final phase before its conclusion.