Current mandate of UNIFIL expires on Aug. 31, 2025, unless renewed by UN Security Council
Lebanon is committed to maintaining the presence of the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL) in the south for as long as necessary to ensure the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Tuesday.
In a meeting with UNIFIL Commander Major General Diodato Abagnara, Aoun stressed that the Lebanese army will continue its deployment until the international border is fully secured.
He underlined “the importance of cooperation between the army, UNIFIL forces, and residents of southern towns and villages” to maintain stability in the area.
Resolution 1701, passed in 2006, calls for a complete halt to hostilities between the Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israel and the establishment of a weapons-free zone between the Blue Line, a de facto border, and the Litani River in southern Lebanon, with exceptions for the Lebanese army and the UNIFIL.
UNIFIL has operated in southern Lebanon since 1978 and was significantly reinforced under the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 after the 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Its current mandate expires on Aug. 31, 2025, unless renewed by the UN Security Council.
According to Israeli media, Israel has officially asked the US to terminate the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.
Israel launched a military offensive in Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, which escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and injuring around 17,000.
A ceasefire was reached in November, but Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah activities.
Under the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.
