The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Thursday to terminate the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon at the end of 2026 after nearly five decades, bowing to demands from the United States and its close ally Israel.
UNIFIL was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion. Its mission was expanded following the month-long 2006 war between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.
The resolution would terminate UNIFIL’s mandate and halt its operations at the end of 2026. The process of withdrawing its 10,800 military and civilian personnel and equipment would start immediately in consultation with the Lebanese government, to be completed within a year.
The draft 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.
The multinational 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 has drawn criticism from both sides and numerous US lawmakers, some of whom now hold prominent roles in US President Donald Trump’s administration or wield new influence with the White House.
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.
