The Lebanese government is pressing members of the UN Security Council to establish a multinational force that would replace the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which currently serves as a buffer between Israeli and Lebanese forces and whose mandate is set to expire at the end of the year, two Western diplomats told The Jerusalem Post.
UNIFIL’s mandate in southern Lebanon is expected to expire at the end of the year under a UN Security Council resolution, after years of operating to monitor the implementation of Resolution 1701, which ended the Second Lebanon War. With the mandate’s expiration, responsibility for security and maintaining stability in southern Lebanon is expected to shift largely to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).
UNIFIL is a UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon that was established in 1978 and operates under Security Council resolutions. Under its UN mandate, its primary role is to assist the Lebanese Armed Forces in ensuring that the area south of the Litani River remains free of weapons and armed personnel, in accordance with Resolution 1701.
The force consists of thousands of troops from various countries and conducts patrols, observation missions and operational activities alongside the Lebanese Armed Forces.
France pushes for extension
France is seeking to pressure the Security Council to extend UNIFIL’s mandate in southern Lebanon, a French official told the Post, saying the goal is “to avoid a vacuum and ensure a smooth transition to whatever comes next.”
In an effort to ease American opposition, France is arguing that the extension would be temporary. At this stage, however, Washington remains opposed to extending UNIFIL’s mandate.
The Lebanese government’s understanding that the US administration opposes extending UNIFIL’s mandate has led Beirut to propose a compromise: “Not a UNIFIL force, but rather a UNIFIL-like force that would serve as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon and remain in southern Lebanon.”
The Lebanese proposal calls for a force significantly smaller than the current UNIFIL deployment. Lebanese officials told senior US officials that “something needs to remain – some kind of force – in the area under Israeli control.”
Although the US has not yet agreed to the proposal, discussions are currently underway over the option, including the potential mandate and size of such a force, according to the two Western diplomats.
Israel opposes UNIFIL presence
The sides will have to reach a decision by November. Israel opposes the continued presence of an armed multinational force south of the Litani River, but there is concern that international pressure could ultimately lead the US, which holds veto power on the Security Council, to refrain from blocking the initiative.
“We have learned the hard way that UNIFIL forces do not help – they cause harm,” Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told the Post.
“By their very presence, they enable Hezbollah terrorists to return to various positions under the cover of UNIFIL activity. As a result, when UN forces are operating around us, it makes it more difficult for us to ensure that Hezbollah does not return to those positions. That is why we believe this mandate should end and the Lebanese Armed Forces should be allowed to be on the border and work with us.”
Danon stressed that Israel wants to work with the Lebanese Armed Forces in a manner similar to its coordination and cooperation with the Egyptian and Jordanian militaries.
“We believe they need to demonstrate independence not only in words, but also through actions,” he said.