Lebanon Appeals to UN to Reconsider Premature Unifil Withdrawal Amid Regional Tensions

Lebanon has officially urged the UN to reconsider plans to terminate the Unifil peacekeeping mission, warning that a withdrawal could create a dangerous security vacuum as conditions in Lebanon and the wider Middle East have changed sharply.

In an August 26 letter circulated to the UN Security Council and seen by The National, Lebanon’s UN ambassador, Ahmad Arafa, stated that ending the mission appeared premature in light of developments since March 2.

“The security context both in Lebanon and across the Blue Line, but also in the Middle East, has shifted drastically since then, and it is Lebanon’s conviction that this termination requires a careful re-examination, to avoid any security vacuum that would be detrimental to the efforts of the Lebanese Government, and those of other actors tirelessly promoting stability in the region,” Mr Arafa said.

Hezbollah and Israel resumed fighting on March 2 as a wider regional conflict intensified, dramatically altering the security environment in which Unifil operates. Since then, Israeli forces have occupied a strip of southern Lebanon extending about 10km from the border, which Israel describes as a buffer zone necessary to prevent Hezbollah attacks on communities in northern Israel. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, Israeli strikes have killed more than 4,300 people in Lebanon since March.

Lebanon emphasized its continued commitment to fully implementing Security Council Resolution 1701, which established the framework for ending the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. Beirut also reiterated its commitment to the November 2024 cessation-of-hostilities agreement and a US-Israel-Lebanon Trilateral Framework signed on June 26, both intended to advance the objectives of Resolution 1701.

Additionally, Lebanon challenged existing UN planning for the post-Unifil period, noting that options outlined in a June 1 report by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres were based on consultations conducted prior to the March developments and the signing of the Trilateral Framework. Mr Arafa argued that these options may no longer reflect current realities and suggested that extending Unifil for a limited period remains the most practical option due to its operational expertise, logistical infrastructure, and local acceptance.

Conversely, Israel stated last week that it opposes efforts to maintain a large international force in southern Lebanon after the peacekeeping mandate concludes, asserting that the Lebanese Armed Forces should assume full responsibility for border security.

“Our position is very clear. We think that the decision that was passed in the Security Council on Unifil finishing its mandate by the end of the year should be respected,” Danny Danon told reporters at UN headquarters.

Unifil has maintained a presence in southern Lebanon since 1978 to monitor the cessation of hostilities and support the Lebanese army along the Blue Line. Pushed by the United States, the UN Security Council voted in August 2025 to conclude the 7,000-strong peacekeeping mission on December 31, 2026, after nearly five decades of operations.