Lebanese President Calls for Extension of UNIFIL Mandate to Preserve Southern Stability

On August 17, Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun told a delegation of twenty lawmakers that extending the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mandate, which expires at the end of the year, is the primary means to safeguard stability in the country’s south. He warned that without an extension, a secondary plan would be needed to keep international forces in the area under a legal framework coordinated with the Lebanese Army.

The Jerusalem PostLebanese President Says Extending UNIFIL's Mandate Primary Option to Safeguard Stability

UNIFIL has been stationed along Lebanon’s southern border since 1978, tasked with monitoring the cessation of hostilities and supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces. The current mandate is set to lapse at year-end, prompting debate over whether the United Nations will maintain a presence after that date. Israel has publicly opposed the continued deployment of UNIFIL forces, according to the president’s remarks. A Reuters photo from November 16, 2025 shows UNIFIL soldiers on a watchtower near a concrete wall along Lebanon’s southern border, underscoring the mission’s ongoing on-ground activity.

The Jerusalem PostLebanese President Says Extending UNIFIL's Mandate Primary Option to Safeguard Stability

He noted Israel’s year-long pressure to end the mission and reiterated Lebanon’s request for an international force that can operate within an appropriate legal framework.

The Jerusalem Post

• “If the mandate is not extended, the second option would be to adopt a formula ensuring the continued presence of international forces in the south, within an appropriate legal framework, alongside and in coordination with the Lebanese Army,” — Joseph Aoun, lebanese president

The Jerusalem Post