By Faustine Maguin Desforges
On August 28, 2025, the UN Security Council voted to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for the final time, which will last until the end of 2026. The Council also called for an “orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal” in 2027.[1] While the UN mission has positively impacted the local population and aided Lebanon in regaining control over its territory, this decision, mostly influenced by Israel and the US, argued that UNIFIL had not done enough to support the Lebanese army in dismantling Hezbollah in the region — a task that was never part of UNIFIL’s direct mandate.[2] This withdrawal will conclude nearly 50 years of UN presence, during which the UN forces have been instrumental in maintaining peace and security in southern Lebanon.
What is UNIFIL?
UNIFIL was established in 1978 to coordinate the withdrawal of the Israeli army that had just invaded Lebanon. Its mandate was extended as Israel invaded Lebanon for a second time in 1982, occupying the southern part of the country until 2000,[3] and once more in 2006 and 2024. Some 10,800 peacekeepers have been acting as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon. UNIFIL has been tasked with monitoring the whole region and reporting violations of the UN Resolution 1701.[4] This includes “monitoring the cessation of hostilities”, ensuring Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon by maintaining respect for the Blue Line, serving as a de facto border, and supporting Lebanon in restoring state authority.[5] Resolution 1701 also expanded the mandate to ensure humanitarian access to the Lebanese population and to facilitate the return of displaced people.[6] Protecting civilians is an important aspect of the mandate, as UNIFIL patrols to ensure the safety of civilians attending funerals or harvests, and is also tasked with providing humanitarian aid in times of crisis.
What is the current situation in the UNIFIL-monitored areas?
Israel has been regularly assaulting Lebanon with military attacks and violated Lebanon’s airspace with surveillance flyovers, even before October 2023. Currently, Israel is still occupying five points of Lebanese territory[7] despite a ceasefire agreement signed on November, 2024.[8] About 93,000 people have been displaced,[9] and 4,000 Lebanese civilians died.[10] Before the ceasefire, Israel targeted UNIFIL’s positions at least 8 times, between September and November 2024, wounding 6 peacekeepers in an Israeli strike that killed 3 Lebanese civilians.[11] Presumably, these intimidatory actions were intended to allow Israel’s military to advance into Lebanese territory more freely.[12] Even after the ceasefire, the IDF hit UNIFIL’s headquarters[13] and sound grenades were dropped near a UNIFIL detachment on September 2nd, 2025.[14]
What will the consequences be of a UNIFIL withdrawal?
The consequences of a UNIFIL withdrawal would nevertheless be multiple. The first one is the lack of an international monitoring body, providing a more neutral and comprehensive understanding of the events happening in southern Lebanon.[15] No monitoring means more freedom to breach Resolution 1701, possibly resulting in more Israeli unilateral military actions and, eventually, escalation. UNIFIL winding down also means less support for Lebanese civilians, with access to aid made more difficult during the crisis and loss of development and infrastructure work in peaceful times.[16]
Recommendations
UNIFIL has played a crucial role in negotiation, mediation, and peace-building efforts, which are essential for lasting peace. The removal of UNIFIL, as an international monitoring body, would leave a vacuum, allowing violations to occur unchecked and with impunity, endangering the lives of innocent people. The implications of UNIFIL withdrawing jeopardize also humanitarian assistance and makes the failure to protect vulnerable populations utterly unjustifiable.
We must advocate for continued international engagement to safeguard peace and security in the region, while we reaffirm and support the full withdrawal of Israel from Lebanon, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement signed on November 27, 2024.
[1] Al Jazeera. “UNIFIL’s Mandate in Southern Lebanon Was Renewed. What Happens Next?” August 28, 2025. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/8/31/unifils-mandate-in-southern-lebanon-was-renewed-what-happens-next.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] “UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL): Vote on Final Mandate Renewal and Drawdown.” Security Council Report, n.d. Accessed September 3, 2025. https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2025/08/un-interim-force-in-lebanon-unifil-vote-on-final-mandate-renewal-and-drawdown.php.
[5] Rose, Caroline, and Faysal Itani. The Withdrawal of UNIFIL from Lebanon. September 4, 2025. https://newlinesinstitute.org/state-resilience-fragility/the-withdrawal-of-unifil-from-lebanon/.
[6] Resolution 1701 (2006). https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/581053/files/S_RES_1701%282006%29-EN.pdf.
[7] Al Jazeera. “UNIFIL’s Mandate in Southern Lebanon Was Renewed. What Happens Next?” August 28, 2025. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/8/31/unifils-mandate-in-southern-lebanon-was-renewed-what-happens-next.
[8] France Diplomacy – Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. “Lebanon – IDF Attack on UNIFIL Troops.” September 3, 2025. https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/lebanon/news/article/lebanon-idf-attack-on-unifil-troops-september-3-2025.
[9] “Security Council, 80th Year: 9963rd Meeting, Wednesday, 23 July 2025, New York.” UN, 2025. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4086824.
[10] Sallon, Hélène. Au Liban, le plan de désarmement du Hezbollah pourrait rapidement se retrouver dans une impasse. Le Monde Edition. September 6, 2025. Le Monde Edition. https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2025/09/06/au-liban-le-plan-de-desarmement-du-hezbollah-pourrait-rapidement-se-retrouver-dans-une-impasse_6639186_3210.html.
[11] Al Jazeera. “UN Peacekeepers Accuse Israel of ‘Deliberate and Direct’ Attack in Lebanon.” November 8, 2024. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/8/un-peacekeepers-accuse-israel-of-deliberate-and-direct-attack-in-lebanon.
[12] Al Jazeera. “UN Peacekeepers Accuse Israel of ‘Deliberate and Direct’ Attack in Lebanon.” November 8, 2024. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/8/un-peacekeepers-accuse-israel-of-deliberate-and-direct-attack-in-lebanon.
[13] Al Jazeera. “UNIFIL’s Mandate in Southern Lebanon Was Renewed. What Happens Next?” August 28, 2025. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/8/31/unifils-mandate-in-southern-lebanon-was-renewed-what-happens-next.
[14] France Diplomacy – Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. “Lebanon – IDF Attack on UNIFIL Troops.” September 3, 2025. https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/lebanon/news/article/lebanon-idf-attack-on-unifil-troops-september-3-2025.
[15] Al Jazeera. “UNIFIL’s Mandate in Southern Lebanon Was Renewed. What Happens Next?” August 28, 2025. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/8/31/unifils-mandate-in-southern-lebanon-was-renewed-what-happens-next.
[16] Christou, William. “UN to End Lebanon Peacekeeping Mission next Year after Israeli and US Pressure.” World News. The Guardian, August 29, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/29/un-unifil-lebanon-peacekeeping-mission-withdrawal.
