Soldiers from the Spanish contingent of UNIFIL, on April 8, 2026, in the city of Marjayoun, southern Lebanon. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L'Orient-Le Jour)
Washington opposes the extension of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL); Beirut is still trying to preserve it, and the United Nations is preparing for what comes next. But as the Security Council begins to consider what might succeed nearly half a century of peacekeeping presence in southern Lebanon, one main question now dominates the debate: Who will be legitimate enough tomorrow to verify both Hezbollah’s disarmament and Israeli withdrawal? The Security Council held closed-door consultations on the issue Friday. Requested by France, which is leading the Lebanese file, the meeting ended without consensus, as the United States remains opposed to extending UNIFIL’s mandate beyond its final deadline of Dec. 31, 2026. Looming danger... Israel prepares for a post-1701 era: What’s at stake in the battle for Ali Taher ...
Washington opposes the extension of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL); Beirut is still trying to preserve it, and the United Nations is preparing for what comes next. But as the Security Council begins to consider what might succeed nearly half a century of peacekeeping presence in southern Lebanon, one main question now dominates the debate: Who will be legitimate enough tomorrow to verify both Hezbollah’s disarmament and Israeli withdrawal? The Security Council held closed-door consultations on the issue Friday. Requested by France, which is leading the Lebanese file, the meeting ended without consensus, as the United States remains opposed to extending UNIFIL’s mandate beyond its final deadline of Dec. 31, 2026. Looming danger... Israel prepares for a post-1701 era: What’s at stake in the battle for Ali...