UNIFIL will reduce its personnel and begin its withdrawal from Lebanon after the end of its mandate on 31 December

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has announced this Thursday that it will reduce its personnel and withdraw from the country after the expiration of its mandate scheduled for December 31. Until then, the 'blue helmets' coming from 45 countries "will continue with their daily operations as usual throughout southern Lebanon, which includes monitoring and reporting on the evolution of the situation, coordination with the parties, support to the Lebanese Armed Forces, and facilitating humanitarian missions," it said on its social media. The UN mission has indicated that the Security Council is "considering options for the period after" the mandate, "including future monitoring and reporting along the Blue Line," which separates Lebanon and Israel, given that "decisions on any future arrangement correspond" to the group of 15 countries. The Security Council had decided, in its resolution 2790, adopted in August 2025, to extend UNIFIL's mandate—deployed in Lebanese territory since 1978—until December 31, 2026, before beginning the reduction and withdrawal of personnel from the area. Lebanese authorities have requested an extension of UNIFIL's mandate and, failing that, an international presence in the south of the country after its withdrawal, although it plays a limited role in the 120 kilometers of border between Lebanon and Israel, since it is not allowed to use force. The United States has opposed any renewal of UNIFIL's mandate, although it has said it is carrying out "active consultations" with the two countries involved on alternatives to the deployment of international troops south of the Litani River, while France and Italy are exploring alternative ways to support the Lebanese Army.