UNITED NATIONS, United States: The United Nations Security Council began to debate on Monday (Aug 18) a resolution drafted by France to extend the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon for a year with the ultimate aim to withdraw it.
Israel and the United States have reportedly opposed the renewal of the force’s mandate, and it was unclear if the draft text has backing from Washington, which wields a veto on the Council.
The US State Department did not respond to a request for comment on the future of the force, the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed since 1978 to separate Lebanon and Israel.
The text, first reported by Reuters, would “extend the mandate of UNIFIL until August 31, 2026” but “indicates its intention to work on a withdrawal of UNIFIL”.
That would be on the condition that Lebanon’s government was the “sole provider of security in southern Lebanon … and that the parties agree on a comprehensive political arrangement”.
