UN peacekeeping chief in Lebanon says smooth transition is critical before pull-out
UNIFIL says more than half of its posts lie in areas now controlled by Israeli troops, complicating a handover to Lebanese forces.
- On Saturday, Major General Diodato Abagnara of Italy warned that ensuring Lebanese troops and UN agencies assume UNIFIL's tasks before the force's year-end withdrawal is critical to maintaining stability in southern Lebanon.
- The Security Council ordered UNIFIL to begin withdrawing at the end of 2026 following a new war that erupted between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in March, intensifying the force's operational demands.
- Abagnara acknowledged it could be "very difficult" to hand over UNIFIL posts to Lebanese troops, as more than half lie within areas now controlled by Israeli forces, including sectors near Mansouri.
- Diplomats worry UNIFIL's departure will mean an end to the UN's "eyes and ears" in southern Lebanon, while the force currently provides security escorts for humanitarian aid convoys to encircled towns.
- As a US-backed plan for the Lebanese army to take control of southern Lebanon has stalled, other countries are discussing a new multinational mission, though the mandate remains unclear as year-end approaches.
25 Articles
25 Articles
UN peacekeeping chief in Lebanon says smooth transition is critical before pull-out
The head of United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon said on Saturday it was critical to ensure other UN agencies and Lebanese troops could assume the tasks carried out by the force before it begins withdrawing at the end of this year.
Lebanon pushes to retain UN presence in the south
Lebanon is stepping up a political and diplomatic drive to maintain a UN presence in the south while rallying support for its army, as Beirut and Paris push to revisit the deadline to end UNIFIL’s mission. Beirut is treating that issue separately from proposals for a European initiative to support the military. Beirut insists on UN presence An informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the proposed European force “is being discussed on a separate…
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon is due to end its operations on December 31, after 48 years of deployment. Lebanon authorities and members of the UN Security Council believe that an international presence must be maintained.
UNIFIL Warns Handover of Some Sites May Be Difficult
The head and commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major General Diodato Abagnara, said Saturday that it is essential to ensure that other UN agencies and the Lebanese army are capable of taking over the tasks currently carried out by the force before its withdrawal begins at the end of this year.
Head of the blue helmets in the country says Lebanese troops and other UN agencies need to be ready to take office by the end of 2026
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