The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is preparing to withdraw most of its troops from Lebanon by mid-2027, following the expiration of its mandate, spokesperson Kandice Ardiel told AFP on Tuesday.
UNIFIL, which has served for decades as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon, has recently been supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure near the Israeli border in the aftermath of the latest war between Israel and the Iran-backed group.
Under pressure from the United States and Israel, the UN Security Council voted last year to terminate UNIFIL’s mandate on December 31, 2026, calling for an “orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal” to be completed within a year. Ardiel said the mission plans to withdraw all, or most, uniformed personnel by mid-2027, with the pullout finalized by the end of that year.
She added that once UNIFIL’s operations formally end on December 31 this year, the mission will begin repatriating personnel and equipment and transferring its positions to Lebanese authorities. During the drawdown, peacekeepers will be limited to essential tasks, including protecting UN staff and facilities and ensuring a safe withdrawal.
Despite a ceasefire reached in November 2024 to halt more than a year of fighting with Hezbollah, Israel has continued regular strikes in Lebanon, saying it is targeting the group, and has kept forces deployed in five border areas. UNIFIL continues to patrol southern Lebanon and monitor violations of a UN resolution that ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war and underpins the current truce, repeatedly reporting Israeli fire near or at its personnel since the ceasefire.
Ardiel said UNIFIL has already reduced its presence in southern Lebanon by nearly 2,000 peacekeepers in recent months, with several hundred more expected to leave by May. The mission currently deploys about 7,500 peacekeepers from 48 countries.
She further stressed that the troop reductions stem from a UN-wide financial crisis and cost-cutting measures affecting all missions, not from the impending end of UNIFIL’s mandate.
Lebanese authorities have expressed a desire for a continued international military presence in the south after UNIFIL’s departure, even in limited numbers, and have been urging European countries to maintain a role. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said during a visit to Beirut this month that the LAF should take over UNIFIL’s responsibilities, while Italy has indicated it intends to retain a military presence in Lebanon after the force withdraws.
AFP
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