UN Security Council votes to wind down UNIFIL mission in Lebanon after 2026

Amid US pressure, ballot extends peacekeeping ngo but past calls for ‘orderly and harmless drawdown and withdrawal’.

The United Nations Security Council has voted to widen the UN peacekeeping ngo successful confederate Lebanon until the extremity of 2026 but to past terminate the ngo successful an “orderly and harmless drawdown and withdrawal” implicit the pursuing year.

The unanimous ballot connected Thursday came conscionable earlier the mandate for the UN Interim Force successful Lebanon (UNIFIL) was owed to expire connected Sunday and arsenic the United States and its adjacent state Israel person progressively pushed for the mission’s termination.

UNIFIL was initially created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from confederate Lebanon aft Israel’s 1978 invasion, and its mandate has been renewed annually since then.

The ngo was expanded aft the 2006 warfare betwixt Israel and Hezbollah with proponents saying it remains important to maintaining a demilitarised buffer betwixt the 2 sides.

The approved solution said UNIFIL volition proceed its operations until December 2026, and it would past statesman withdrawing its 10,800 subject and civilian unit and equipment. That is to hap successful consultation with the Lebanese government.

The solution further aims to marque the Lebanese authorities “the sole supplier of security” successful confederate Lebanon northbound of the UN-drawn borderline with Israel, known arsenic the Blue Line, portion calling connected Israel to retreat its forces.

The medication of US President Donald Trump has pushed for an extremity to UNIFIL since taking bureau successful January and has already overseen cuts successful US backing to the force.

Israel has agelong accused UNIFIL of failing to forestall threats posed by Hezbollah and has progressively pushed for the extremity of its ngo since cross-border warring escalated successful the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks connected Israel and the commencement of Israel’s warfare connected Gaza.

Throughout its latest crushed penetration of Lebanon, which began successful October past year, Israel has been repeatedly accused of attacking UNIFIL positions and injuring peacekeepers.

Despite a November ceasefire, Israel has repeatedly struck targets successful Lebanon and has maintained boots connected the crushed successful immoderate strategical positions.

Thursday’s ballot came arsenic the US has been pushing a program on with Lebanon’s authorities to disarm Hezbollah. The radical has rejected the prospect, citing Israel’s continued beingness successful Lebanon.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies