The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Thursday to terminate the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon at the end of next year after nearly five decades, bowing to demands from the United States and its close ally Israel.
The United States, which initially demanded that the force be ended in six months and later sought a one-year final extension, voted in favor of a final 16-month mandate to continue its activities near Lebanon’s UN-drawn border with Israel.
The multinational peacekeeping force has played a significant role in monitoring the security situation in southern Lebanon for decades, including during the Israel-Hezbollah war last year, but it has drawn criticism from both sides and numerous US lawmakers, some of whom now hold prominent roles in President Donald Trump’s administration or wield new influence with the Republican White House.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion. Its mission was expanded following the monthlong 2006 war between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.
The resolution gives the force, known as UNIFIL, a year starting on Dec. 31, 2026, to withdraw its 10,800 military and civilian personnel and all UN equipment. During this period, UNIFIL was authorized to carry out a few limited activities.
