UNIFIL mandate renewal for one year only?

Tough negotiations are taking place behind the scenes at the Security Council as a crucial vote nears on renewing the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Calling its work “ineffective,” Israel and the United States oppose keeping the peacekeepers or demand that a one-year renewal be the last. In contrast, Lebanon and France (which drafted the resolution) seek more flexibility, arguing that the U.N. mission’s presence has become even more vital in today’s unstable context.Several sources consistently told L’Orient-Le Jour that the session, initially set for Monday, has been postponed to Aug. 29, likely at France’s request. At the same time, a source close to the U.N. said the vote “remains officially scheduled for Monday.” “It is a dance of conflicting information. Nothing has been decided yet,” a source close...