Security Council meeting on UNIFIL mandate postponed

The scheduled U.N. Security Council meeting, initially planned for next Monday to vote on the renewal of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mandate, has been postponed. According to an informed source cited by L’Orient-Le Jour, the session could be held on Wednesday, Aug. 27, or Friday, Aug. 29.

Security Council members began discussions last Monday on a draft resolution submitted by France. The text aims to extend UNIFIL's mandate for one year.

However, the United States, a major ally of Israel, is reluctant to support a new extension of the international deployment, whose mission expires at the end of August, unless its mandate is strengthened. In these circumstances, Washington could veto any resolution put to a vote. For its part, Israel firmly rejects any extension and is reportedly considering, according to local media, a six-month period to allow for the withdrawal of peacekeepers from southern Lebanon.