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Aoun backs UNIFIL extension
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called for extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), saying its presence helps keep residents in their villages and towns and strengthens stability in cooperation with the Lebanese army.
“Our first option is to extend UNIFIL’s mandate”
Aoun told a parliamentary delegation that “Our first option is to extend UNIFIL’s mandate,” and said a failure to extend would require adopting “a formula that ensures the continued presence of international forces in the south, within the required legal framework.”
He said Israel rejects UNIFIL’s presence and “has been pressing in that direction for nearly a year,” while Lebanon continues to demand UNIFIL to stay.
UNIFIL has been deployed since 1978 to monitor the ceasefire along the Lebanese-Israeli border and support the Lebanese Armed Forces in southern Lebanon, and its mandate is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2026.
The push for an extension comes amid tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border after Israel launched deadly attacks on Lebanon, killing more than 4,300 people, injuring over 12,300 and displacing more than 1 million since March 2, according to official Lebanese figures.
Contingency plans and pressure
Aoun welcomed a parliamentary initiative and petition calling for extending the mandate of international forces in southern Lebanon, emphasizing that UNIFIL’s presence is important for stability and for cooperation and coordination with the Lebanese Army.
In the same framing, Aoun said, “Israel opposes the presence of UNIFIL and has been pressuring in this direction for nearly a year,” while Lebanon demands the mission remain.
The dispute over UNIFIL’s future is tied to the scheduled end of its mandate at the end of this year, with Human Rights Watch warning that withdrawal without a strong alternative could leave millions of civilians exposed to “catastrophic” consequences.
Human Rights Watch’s Louis Charbonneau said, “Ending UNIFIL’s mission without a strong international alternative effectively means leaving Lebanese civilians to face an uncertain fate,” and urged the United Nations to extend the mission’s mandate until the security situation improves.
The Human Rights Watch account also cites UN Secretary-General António Guterres support for maintaining an international force, proposing options ranging from deploying 2,000 to 5,500 personnel to monitor the ceasefire and support the Lebanese army.
What’s at stake in the south
Aoun’s position links the extension debate to the risk of a security vacuum in southern Lebanon, with Human Rights Watch warning that the Security Council would bear significant blame if UNIFIL’s departure leads to a security vacuum that allows for further violations.
“catastrophic" consequences”
Human Rights Watch also described UNIFIL as comprising about 7,500 troops from 50 countries stationed in southern Lebanon since 1978 to monitor the borders, while noting it has not prevented repeated rounds of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
In parallel, Aoun said the “basic idea” is to achieve a breakthrough ensuring continued international presence in the south, whether through extending UNIFIL’s mandate or through international forces that support it, in a way that preserves stability and strengthens the role of the state and the Lebanese army.
The Anadolu Ajansı account places the mandate decision against the backdrop of Israeli attacks on Lebanon that have killed more than 4,300 people, injured over 12,300 and displaced more than 1 million since March 2, according to official Lebanese figures.
With UNIFIL deployed along the Lebanese-Israeli border and its mandate due to expire on Dec. 31, 2026, the sources frame the coming months as a test of whether international forces can remain in the south through extension or an alternative arrangement coordinated with the Lebanese army.
