UNIFIL’s 2026 Pull-out Raises Urgent Calls for a Smooth Handover in Southern Lebanon

On September 19, Major General Diodato Abagnara, the head of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), told Reuters that the force must ensure a “very smooth transition” to other UN agencies and the Lebanese Armed Forces before the mandated withdrawal at the end of 2026. The United Nations Security Council has ordered UNIFIL to cease operations on December 31, 2026.

The Straits Times

UNIFIL has been stationed in southern Lebanon for nearly five decades, originally deployed after Israel’s 1978 invasion. The force monitors the Israel-Lebanon border, escorts humanitarian convoys, and has recently provided security for a cluster of predominantly Christian towns encircled by Israeli troops. The current conflict erupted in March when the Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, prompting Israeli strikes and a subsequent Israeli “security zone” extending roughly 10 km into Lebanese territory.

UN peacekeeping chief calls for smooth Lebanon pull-out Macron hosts Lebanon security talks as UN peacekeeping mission nears its end The Straits TimesThe Jerusalem Post

• UNIFIL presently fields just under 7,500 peacekeepers from 46 countries.

The Jerusalem Post

• More than half of UNIFIL’s posts lie in areas now controlled by Israeli forces, complicating any hand-over to the Lebanese army.

The Jerusalem Post

• He added that an extension of the mission would be “a great honour,” but without a new Security Council resolution the force must withdraw as scheduled.

The Straits Times

• French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Paris to discuss support for the Lebanese army and a possible multinational replacement for UNIFIL. A French military source said the talks aimed to assess the Lebanese armed forces’ needs and to draft proposals for the Security Council on a future international presence.

Macron hosts Lebanon security talks as UN peacekeeping mission nears its end UN peacekeeping chief calls for smooth Lebanon pull-out The Straits TimesThe Jerusalem Post

• President Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s desire for a new force—European, American, or Arab—to prevent a security vacuum, stressing that any Lebanese-army deployment must be “clear, credible and realistic.”

Macron hosts Lebanon security talks as UN peacekeeping mission nears its end

• While UN officials stress the necessity of a seamless transition, the United States-backed plan for the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah and assume control of the south has stalled, leaving uncertainty about the exact nature and mandate of any successor mission.

The Jerusalem Post

• No concrete timeline has been announced for a replacement force, and details of the proposed multinational coalition remain vague.

UN peacekeeping chief calls for smooth Lebanon pull-out

• “There are other United Nations entities here in the south, and so what is very important for us (is) to conduct a very smooth transition to different entities, or for the future of a new mission,” — General Diodato Abagnara

The Straits Times

• The Lebanese government has formally requested an extension of UNIFIL’s mandate, though any prolongation requires a new Security Council decision.

The Straits Times

• International leaders are expected to raise the issue at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York, where proposals for a post-UNIFIL security framework will be debated.

The Jerusalem Post

• Ongoing diplomatic engagement among France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and regional partners aims to define the composition and mandate of a potential successor force before the December 31, 2026 deadline.

Macron hosts Lebanon security talks as UN peacekeeping mission nears its end