Western, UN and Lebanese officials dismiss reports on ending UNIFIL mission
by Naharnet Newsdesk 10 June 2025, 14:21
Western and United Nations diplomats dismissed as rumors claims that the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was pulling out of the country, Saudi Arabia's Asharq al-Awsat newspaper has reported.
The Lebanese government is expected to request the extension of the peacekeeping forces' mandate that expires in August.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Asharq Al-Awsat that the reports about the withdrawal are 'inaccurate'. He did not elaborate further.
UNIFIL has been deployed in southern Lebanon since March 1978. Some amendments to its mandate were introduced after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and again after the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Debate rages every year over its duties as the deadline for renewing its mission approaches. Some countries have sought to grant the force more powers, which would put it at odds with Hezbollah that holds sway in the areas of its deployment.
Hezbollah was severely weakened after last year's war with Israel and the ensuing ceasefire agreement had demanded that the Iran-backed party remove its weapons from the South.
UNIFIL forces are deployed south of the Litani River and along the border with Israel. It boasts over 10,000 soldiers from some 50 countries, as well as 800 civilian employees.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told Asharq al-Awsat that the forces' greatest challenge is the lack of a long-term political solution between Lebanon and Israel.
UNIFIL continues to encourage the parties to renew their commitment to fully implementing U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 and taking tangible steps to address pending issues related to it, including steps that would lead to a permanent ceasefire, he added.
It is too soon to tell what UNIFIL's mandate will be like after next August, he went on to say, stressing that changing its mission is up to the Security Council.
Israeli media had reported that the United States wanted to end UNIFIL's mission. Speaking to Asharq al-Awsat, a diplomat dismissed the report as 'usual fear-mongering aimed at influencing Lebanon and other parties interested in extending UNIFIL's mandate and its role in preserving stability in the South and along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel.'
The Security Council is currently awaiting Lebanon's request to extend the mandate for another year, said Western diplomats. The letter will include Lebanon's clear demand for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all occupied Lebanese territories, including the five hilltops it seized during last year's war.
The ceasefire agreement demanded that Israel pull out from those areas within 60 days.
Lebanon has been seeking to resolve this issue through the quintet committee tasked with monitoring the ceasefire and through intense contacts with the U.S.
U.S. officials are considering pulling American support from UNIFIL in a bid to cut costs associated with its operations, the Israel Hayom newspaper reported Sunday evening. U.S. sources later confirmed to The Times of Israel that the option was on the table.
Any discussion about the future of UNIFIL falls solely under the authority of the U.N. Security Council, the spokesperson for UNIFIL clarified to Al-Mayadeen TV, noting that the force remains committed to coordinating with the Lebanese Army and insists on the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.
Tenenti told Al-Mayadeen that "there are currently no talks about UNIFIL's future," adding that "any such discussion would take place within the U.N. Security Council."
Meanwhile, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told Al- Mayadeen in a short briefing that the recent reports claiming the United States intends to end the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon are inaccurate.
Tenenti stated that UNIFIL continues its operations in southern Lebanon in full cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces. He emphasized that Israeli forces should withdraw from their occupied positions in the area, noting that the U.N. Security Council alone holds the authority to assess whether UNIFIL's ongoing presence remains necessary and effective.
Tenenti also affirmed that the Lebanese Army remains committed to implementing U.N. Resolution 1701, deploying to required areas in close coordination with UNIFIL forces.
When asked about French troops, he responded: "I don't distinguish between the role of French forces and UNIFIL, all are fulfilling their duties under Resolution 1701."
A Lebanese official also denied the reports, in remarks to UAE's The National newspaper.
'This is not serious. We have sources in Washington who completely denied it,' the official told The National.
A U.S. State Department spokesman told The National in New York the reports were "not accurate".
'I don't know where these reports are coming from, but they won't lead anywhere. The presence of UNIFIL is a necessity for everyone,' the Lebanese source added. The official said the renewal process had already begun at the request of Lebanese authorities and was expected to proceed smoothly.
The decision to extend UNIFIL's mandate, which is taken annually, is made by the U.N. Security Council rather than individual countries. The council consists of 15 members; five permanent – the U.S., UK, France, China and Russia – and 10 rotating.
U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said the mandate was in the hands of the Security Council. But he praised the work that UNIFIL has done since the 1970s as "speaking for itself".
The force "has been a very crucial component to the safety and the stability of southern Lebanon", he said. "The unrest and activity across the Blue Line continues even now, so the situation has not returned to a position of stability."
UNIFIL's annual budget is around $500 million, which is provided by contributions from U.N. member states. Contributions to U.N. peacekeeping missions are based on a formula, which takes into account 'relative economic wealth of member states, with the five permanent members of the Security Council required to pay a larger share because of their special responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security,' according to the U.N.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly criticized UNIFIL in several instances, calling on the U.N. to withdraw its peacekeepers from Lebanon and accusing the mission of serving as human shields for Hezbollah during the recent conflict in Lebanon.
UNIFIL has reported numerous breaches of the U.S.-brokered truce deal between Israel and Hezbollah that took effect in November, ending 14 months of conflict, including two months of intense Israeli bombardment.
These include nearly 2,200 Israeli airspace incursions, more than 40 airstrikes, and close to 1,300 Israeli ground activities in southern Lebanon, a spokesman for the peacekeeping force told The National in April.
The peacekeeping force holds regular meetings with the ceasefire monitoring committee established under the latest truce, which is led by the United States and includes France, the Israeli military and the Lebanese army. Despite this, Israel has continued to strike Lebanon, including the capital's suburbs, claiming that it is striking Hezbollah military sites that violate the agreement.
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