UNIFIL and Lebanese army vehicles in the Marjayoun district, on April 8, 2026. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L’Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — The fate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) remains uncertain, as Lebanon pushes for an extension of its mandate while Israel and United States oppose the troops extension.
The Lebanese government has deemed it “premature” to end the mission and called for an extension of the “current arrangement for a limited period,” according to an article published Sunday by the Financial Times, which reviewed a letter distributed to the U.N. Security Council in September. Under U.S. pressure, the Security Council decided in August 2025 to end the peacekeepers’ mandate on Dec. 31, 2026.
Three people familiar with the matter told the FT that France, as well as most other members of the U.N. Security Council, had expressed support for Lebanon’s request during council discussions. A session dedicated to the fate of UNIFIL was held in early September at France’s request. France is the Security Council’s penholder on Lebanon. But the possibility of extending the mandate was categorically rejected by the United States. Israel also continues to oppose it.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is calling for an extension of UNIFIL's presence due to ongoing Israeli attacks in the South. If an extension is not possible, the deployment of an alternative international force could be considered.
Washington is sponsoring the framework agreement signed last June 26 between Beirut and Tel Aviv, which provides for the deployment of an international force to oversee the various provisions of the text, namely the deployment of the Lebanese Army in the South with the mission to disarm Hezbollah, and the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied area. However, direct negotiations are stalling over which countries could form this force.
“The US [has] recognized very late that some of the UNIFIL tasks that will go away need to be sustained somehow. But what that looks like remains to be seen,” one of the people familiar with the matter told FT. The U.N. is seeking to maintain a role in Lebanon after the war, a source added.
The report added that the U.S. mission to the U.N. and the Élysée refused to comment on this information.
