UNIFIL to begin withdrawing from southern Lebanon at year’s end — PBS NewsHour

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) will begin withdrawing personnel from southern Lebanon at the end of the year. As PBS NewsHour reports, the UN Security Council decided last year to end the mission’s mandate by the end of 2026. According to the report, Israeli forces occupy approximately 6% of Lebanon’s territory.

UNIFIL was established in 1978 to ensure the withdrawal of the Israeli army after the first invasion of Lebanon. The mission currently includes more than 7,000 uniformed personnel from nearly 50 countries. After the mission is wound down, its functions are planned to be transferred to the Lebanese army.

Monitoring the border zone

French peacekeepers maintain a remote observation post near Bint Jbeil. According to PBS NewsHour, France is the only country to have deployed modern radar systems within UNIFIL to detect artillery and rocket fire.

UNIFIL reported that since June it has recorded more than 11,000 incidents that it classified as violations by the Israel Defense Forces. These include airspace violations, air and artillery strikes, as well as the presence of Israeli military personnel in Lebanon. The mission classified one other incident as an action by Hezbollah.

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Peacekeepers also reported obstacles to the movement of convoys and the rotation of personnel. During journalists’ visit, a Merkava tank temporarily blocked the road for a UNIFIL convoy before later allowing it to pass. The mission regards such cases as restrictions on freedom of movement.

Israel’s position and that of residents

Israeli officials said that UNIFIL had failed to ensure Hezbollah’s disarmament after the 2006 war and insisted on the mission’s withdrawal. In a response to PBS NewsHour, the Israel Defense Forces said that Hezbollah’s presence south of the Litani River is unacceptable. It also said that it disagrees with UNIFIL’s classification of the recorded incidents as violations and is working to prevent conflicts and ensure the safety of UNIFIL personnel and its own troops.

Residents of the town of Rmeish, where the Israeli army restricts civilian movement, depend primarily on humanitarian convoys. One resident told PBS NewsHour that the peacekeepers’ presence is important for the community’s security, social life, and economy.