LONDON: The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon said on Tuesday it is continuing its operations to support peace and stability as the Security Council considers options for the period after its mandate expires Dec. 31.
“As the Security Council considers options for the post-UNIFIL period, our work on the ground continues,” the UN Interim Force in Lebanon said in a statement.
The mission said it remained committed to its duties under Security Council Resolution 1701, including monitoring developments, reporting violations, maintaining contact with the parties, supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces and facilitating humanitarian missions.
The council voted in August 2025 to end the mission’s mandate Dec. 31, 2026, followed by a gradual, coordinated withdrawal over the following year.
With that deadline approaching, Lebanese leaders have called for UN peacekeepers to remain as a buffer between Israeli and Lebanese forces, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN undersecretary-general for peace operations, said on Friday.
Lacroix warned that incidents along the Blue Line, the UN-designated line marking Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, could spiral out of control.
His warning came amid continued Israeli airstrikes, artillery fire and ground operations in southern Lebanon, where the UN has also reported restrictions on peacekeepers’ movements.
UNIFIL recorded Israeli airstrikes, heavy artillery and mortar fire, and military engineering activity from Friday through Sunday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. He urged all parties to avoid actions that could escalate tensions.
Israeli tanks also blocked a UNIFIL supply convoy Friday, while roadblocks forced the cancellation of patrols, Dujarric said. The mission stressed that peacekeepers must be able to operate safely and without obstruction.
UNIFIL was established in 1978 after Israel invaded southern Lebanon. The Security Council significantly expanded its mandate under Resolution 1701 following the 2006 war.