Lebanon needs international force after peacekeepers leave, PM tells UN chief

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urged UN chief Antonio Guterres on Monday to establish a UN-backed international force to maintain a presence in the country's south after the current UN peacekeeping mission, Unifil, concludes in December. Unifil, comprising approximately 7,500 troops from 46 nations, has served as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel since 1978.

However, the US pressured the UN Security Council into halting Unifil's mandate at the end of the year. During a meeting with Guterres at the UN headquarters in New York, Salam emphasized the importance of preserving an international presence in the south to monitor, report, and liaise, contributing to stability and supporting the Lebanese state's authority over its entire territory.

Unifil's withdrawal comes as Israel maintains troops within a self-declared security zone in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah's attack on Israel in March led to Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has called for a new force, either European or otherwise, to avoid a security vacuum post-Unifil, though extending Unifil's mandate remains the preferred option.

A meeting last week in Paris between Aoun, French President Emmanuel Macron, and King Abdullah II of Jordan discussed the possibility of forming a new multinational coalition to replace Unifil. Guterres mentioned in a June report that peacekeepers would be necessary following Unifil's mission's expiration. Salam also informed Guterres of around 329,000 displaced individuals still residing in Lebanon since the latest conflict began, requesting assistance for the humanitarian response.