Moussa mentions 'efforts for the arrival of a UN force in the south'

SOUTH LEBANON — Deputy Michel Moussa, who belongs to the bloc of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, reported Tuesday on “efforts for the arrival of a U.N. force in South Lebanon, which would witness Israeli practices and violations,” adding that “there is no clear response on this subject so far.”

In an interview with the radio station “Voice of All Lebanon,” he expressed hope “that UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) will remain (in south Lebanon), even though its scheduled departure date is near.”

UNIFIL’s mandate ends on Dec. 31, 2026, but its withdrawal is scheduled to last until the end of 2027. On Monday, President Joseph Aoun said he hopes “as a first option” that UNIFIL’s mandate will be extended, against a backdrop of ongoing Israeli attacks in the South. If that is not the case, he said, the deployment of an alternative international force could be considered.

The U.N. Security Council is scheduled on Tuesday to hold closed consultations to hear from Mohammad Khaled Khiari, undersecretary-general for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific. While a last-minute renewal of UNIFIL’s mission is not ruled out, Western powers are working behind the scenes to set up another multinational force in south Lebanon.